Change of Heart
by marsdemon
Summary: Amy is taken to the negaverse because of her own carelessness. There she finds out things she was not ment to know and makes a promise that might change her life forever. Amy X a certain someone from the negaverse and it's not Zoicite.
1. mistakes and promises

Amy had enough, she has always been the goodie-goodie type, never allowing herself to have any real fun.  
  
Hummm, thought the senshi of ice as she pondered what she should wear, she didn't feel like wearing her typical type skirt and blouse, too proper, she wanted to do something wild, something outrageous, something completely new. Picking out a black mini-skirt and a tight fitting black tank-top she put those on with a pair of nice sandals, she was ready. Oh wait, something is missing. Amy wanted to look like the cool type of girls that she sometimes saw at school, she really did. And what did the 'cool' girls usually do? Put on lots of makeup.  
  
Amy tried her hand at it, she has never worn make up before and was surprised to find that she did pretty good. She looked stunning, although very different; the only thing that seemed to remain unchanged was her hair, the usual blue and short. For the intelligent and creative Amy it was no problem to think of something to do with her hair. Parting it at the side she flipped most of it to one side of her head, making her look more sophisticated and stylish, perfect.  
  
The look was done, now, she needed a date, and well, a date was something she didn't have. Amy never had too many friends to begin with so when it came to finding a date, she was out of luck, no amount of intelligence could help her out of this one now.  
  
'Oh well' she thought 'guess I'll have to go by myself'  
  
She got her purse and stormed out of the door slamming it shut behind her. Amy was in the mood for some action, it was surprising what a little change of appearance could do to a person's mood. The club was just down the street, and the negaverse was quiet, not a word from them in over a whole week, Amy felt like she cold afford to have some fun.  
  
The music was too loud, the people were mostly drunk, and she was all by herself. Amy wanted to have some fun, but it appeared that it was not her lucky day; the young mercurian was not having any fun at all.  
  
'Well, I might as well have a drink, maybe that'll cheer me up.' Thought Amy as she ordered herself a tequila, she had never drunk before, so she had no idea what tequila even was. After five shots and some time, the music started to catch up with her, Amy started to feel a little better and she found out that it wasn't that loud and not that very hot in here. She started to move to the beat, but she kept bumping into people constantly, her legs felt wobbly and she found that she didn't care about anyone's complaints.  
  
Nephrite was watching the people dance, humans, such ridiculous creatures. Beside him was Jaedite who was looking more annoyed then he usually was.  
  
"Are you done looking at these idiots, why not just drain them and be over with it?" he asked angrily. He wanted to get out of here, this hot atmosphere; it was reminding him of something he didn't want to remember.  
  
"What's the matter with you, I thought a descendent of Mars should like a hot hell-hole like this" teased Nephrite. He never passed up an opportunity to taunt the younger general about his Martian heritage. Good thing that Jaedite didn't know about Nephrite being from Jupiter, otherwise he might've made up a comeback by now.  
  
"I don't say anything about your background, do I Nephrite? Or maybe I should?" Jaedite eyes set on fire with internal anger. Martians, such hot tempers they all have, thought Nephrite.  
  
"Chill out, I was only joking, we'll be out of here as soon as their energy reaches its peak. By the way, have you heard from Zoicite and Malachite, I heard they were after the rainbow crystals, are they doing any good?" on the other hand, thought Nephrite after he changed the topic, maybe Jaedite did know about his background after all.  
  
"They've got five, they need two more to get the imperial silver crystal, I think we should try harder, we need energy and we need lots of it."  
  
"True, queen Beryl will not be too happy if they complete their task and we don't" Nephrite was not really worried though, they were right on track.  
  
Draining clubs was perfect, the energy levels were high and the sailor scouts never showed up here, it was as if this part of the population was so abandoned by the society that even the scouts didn't bother with them. In one week they have gathered more energy then they have in the past year, and unlike Jaedite, Nephrite could tell that Queen Beryl was impressed.  
  
"Jaedite, while we are stuck in this dump, why don't you at least try to have some fun, they maybe human but they are still women. And with our powers you can have any and every one of them, you know." Nephrite sighed.  
  
He was older then Jaedite, he could understand why the younger guy would not like being stuck here, but there was nothing they could do for now, he would have to get adjusted. He himself was content for now, his energy kept everyone at a distance from him.  
  
"Right, have fun, whatever you say oh mighty Nephrite. I'll just be your slave and do what you say, maybe bring you your slippers at night." Apparently in his current mood Jaedite reacted even to someone suggesting that he should do something.  
  
"That would be most helpful." countered Nephrite smirking at Jaedite who has decided to get up.  
  
Jaedite gave his companion the dirtiest of looks he could bring up but all that has done was make the guy laugh.  
  
Amy was dancing with two guys at the same time, she didn't even know who they are and she couldn't care less either. That is until she bumped into someone who wasn't dancing at all. He was just walking through the crowd and for some strange reason they just all let him pass.  
  
"Wha?" Jaedite looked at the girl who bumped into him. This couldn't be, Amy, the girl who was Sailor Mercury, here?!  
  
"Why don't you watch where you are going!" yelled Amy causing Jaedite to raise an eyebrow, she didn't seem to know who she was talking to. "Hey, you're kinda cute, wanna dance?" she wrapped her arms around his neck. Jaedite's eyes widened in shock, was she completely delusional? It took him another moment to realize that she was, she was completely drunk. This could be interesting, he thought as he wrapped his arms around her waist and started to move to the beat going along with the girl.  
  
"Come with me." he whispered in her ear influencing her just a little with his power. She obliged with no resistance following him to where Nephrite was sitting.  
  
"Guess who I caught, you really meant it when you said that I could have them all!" Nephrite had his eyes closed when Jaedite came up. He shook his head at the generals' exited tone of voice, youth, and a few minutes ago he was saying that he wanted to get out of here. He opened his eyes bored but almost jumped up when he saw who it was that was clinging on to the younger general.  
  
"How in the name of all evil did you.?" he didn't finish when he noticed Amy's clouded over eyes and her unstable posture "She's drunk, isn't she?"  
  
"Yes, and she threw herself at me, I didn't even do anything."  
  
Nephrite moved over to let Jaedite sit. The younger general threw Amy on the couch before sitting down himself.  
  
"So what should we do with her?" he asked Nephrite looking at the girl who rested her head on the older guys' lap.  
  
Nephrite looked at the girl in his lap, she looked like she has fallen asleep A senshi, the one who was supposed to be the smartest of the five was being this careless, it was surprising. He stroked her cheek with his finger, she stirred a little but did not open her eyes.  
  
"Ever notice how the sailor brats are prettier then regular humans? She is so vulnerable right now, we could destroy her right here, rid ourselves of one annoying scout. No more mercury power, no more scanning through our forces, no more handy little computers and genius minds, too easy, don't you think?"  
  
"What are you getting at Nephrite, I don't understand."  
  
"Let's take her home, the others are bound to come looking for her, who knows, she could be useful."  
  
"Yeah, well, do whatever you want with her, I'm going to go get some fresh air."  
  
Nephrite just nodded as Jaedite left again. He looked down at the girl resting her head in his lap, he'd never think that he would ever find himself in this situation. Oh the wonders of alcohol, maybe he should get the rest of them drunk too. The thought made him laugh, would the proud Sailor mars or the defiant Jupiter throw themselves at him the same way mercury did? He stroked her cheek absentmindedly again until he heard her moan and lean in into his touch. Gods, she was actually enjoying this, he wondered what fun it would be to clear her head now and show her just what she was doing, but he didn't think that would be such a good idea.  
  
Just for the sake of seeing what will happen he leaned down and pressed his lips against the mercurian girls' in his lap. Cold and smooth as ice, he had never thought that he would enjoy kissing his mortal enemy, but then again, who cared right?  
  
At that moment a dark crystal that hung around his neck reacted. He saw Jaedite walk in from outside, it was time.  
  
"About time, I was getting bored."  
  
"What were you doing anyways?" asked Nephrite standing up and picking up Amy in his arms "looking for more drunken sailor scouts?"  
  
"Very funny, very funny, lets get it over with and get out of here" said Jaedite as he commanded a monster from the negaverse to come forward and suck the whole crowd dry. Yet another raid was successful and they got to take out a sailor scout too, queen Beryl would be pleased. The two generals disappeared and reappeared in the negaverse. Amy was peacefully sleeping in Nephrites' arms unaware of the danger she was in.  
  
"What are you going to do with her?" asked Jaedite as he was about to proceed to give queen Beryl with the energy they have collected.  
  
"Just keep her here for now, don't tell Beryl, she doesn't need to know this, not yet at least." He turned around and proceeded to walk to his quarters.  
  
Jaedite smirked. 'Scout lover, well, have fun, she's out of my way, so I guess I can't complain.'  
  
He disappeared to report to queen Beryl, he'll just say that Nephrite was held back to clean up or something, she'll believe him, with the progress they have been making lately she was no longer watching them 24/7.  
  
Nephrite walked into his room, like the rest of the negaverse, it was dark and gloomy, but when did that ever bother anyone in there. He carefully placed Amy on the bed, he didn't want to wake her up just yet, she should be given at least the opportunity to enjoy her peaceful sleep, it would most likely be her last one. Nephrite didn't know why he was being considerate, but he was.  
  
He took away Amy's transformation stick and sat beside her on the bed leaning against the backboard and looking down at the senshi of ice, she really was pretty. Nephrite thought that Jaedite would probably call him insane for even thinking something like this. It was funny how queen Beryl paired them up, the calm, reasonable and composed Malachite in charge of the arrogant and hotheaded Zoicite and himself in charge of the equally hotheaded Jaedite. Malachite had more experience then he himself did, but Zoicite had less then Jaedite, he was absolutely dependent on Malachite unlike Jaedite who would most likely be able to hold his own if he was ever left alone. It was interesting how Queen Beryl organized them into teams of two equally balancing both in power.  
  
Nephrite's thought's were interrupted when Amy stirred on the bed she was lying on. She moaned and then slowly opened her eyes, she still couldn't comprehend very well. She sat up rubbing her eyes, she had a horrible headache. With a groan she shut her eyes shut clutching her head.  
  
"My head.remind me not to ever do that again." she mumbled apparently not aware there was someone there to answer her.  
  
"I don't think I will have to, you will have no trouble remembering." Answered Nephrite amused by the senshis' cluelessness.  
  
Amy opened her eyes and froze, she knew that voice, she was sure she did! She jumped up turning to face Nephrite who was just smirking at her.  
  
"What have you done to me?! Where am I?" she reached for her transformation stick, but of course it was not there.  
  
"Me? Do anything to you? I didn't do a thing mercury, if you recall you were the one who got so drunk that you threw yourself straight into Jaedites' arms" the smirk never left Nephrite's face, it was too amusing seeing the usually composed mercury act like this.  
  
"No. you're lying. I couldn't, I would've not!" but the pain in her head stopped her flow of thought.she did, she remembered she did.but throw herself into Jaedites' arms, she couldn't believe that, it was too outrageous. Amy paled, she was going to be sick, what would the others think...oh mighty Mercury protect me she prayed.  
  
She was helpless, absolutely helpless and Nephrite didn't need to tell her where she was, she already knew.  
  
"You are lucky mercury, had Jaedite not found you, you would've been drained completely with the rest of them, and had I not said that I wanted to keep you, he would've destroyed you. He has no sympathy for the likes of you." Nephrite spoke calmly looking at the girl who was now on her knees clutching her head. She apparently was not taking this too well.  
  
"Why didn't you destroy me? You could've easily done so, do you have sympathy for the likes of me?" she whispered knowing that Nephrite's acute hearing would allow him to hear her clearly.  
  
"I have no need to destroy you senshi. My job is not to destroy you, it is to keep you from ruining our plans, I can do that by taking away your transformation stick. And I do happened to have some sympathy for you, you are fighting a loosing battle."  
  
Tears ran down Amys' face, how stupid was it of her, she just wanted to have some fun, she just wanted to be a bad girl for a change, she didn't want this. And to make it worse her head was killing her. Seeing her pain Nephrite stood up and walked up to the crying girl.  
  
"Stop that, crying will not change anything for you, right now I have no pity for you, you are being pathetic. You were stupid enough to get careless, and now you are crying at my feet. That is no way for a princess of mercury to behave. Stand up." He spoke slowly and calmly, but there was a hardness about his usually pleasant voice that demanded obedience. Amy suddenly became scared getting up slowly, what in hell was he talking about, she thought that he would enjoy seeing her cry at his feet. Yet his words were not taunting, more like the kind of thing one might say to get you thinking.  
  
Nephrite extended his hand putting his hand on the back of the girls' head and used one of his less used powers. Amy felt the pain in her head drain from her, everything became more clear, why was he doing this?  
  
Unfortunately, her fear became more clear too, she was so much more aware of her situation.  
  
"There is no reason for you to suffer needlessly, someone like Zoicite might enjoy seeing that, but not me and if I see you crying again I'll knock you out." said Nephrite calmly dropping his hand and walking over to a table. He sat on a chair and started meditating on his dark crystal making it more powerful.  
  
"Nephrite?"  
  
The general opened his eyes.  
  
"What are you planning to do with me, if you are not going to destroy me?"  
  
"Probably use you as a bait for the others, they are bound to come after you eventually." he looked at her wondering what her reaction might be.  
  
Amy sank down on the floor, this was all her fault, this was not even a sick plan on the behalf of the negaverse, it was just the result of her own stupidity, she set herself and the others up for this. In fact, the generals have spared her, not something she has ever done with their creatures. It was only natural that her friends would want to help her, they should just leave her though, they would be putting themselves in danger now because of her stupidity.  
  
"Please.please don't do it.Do anything to me, but please, please don't use me to lure in the others.please." mercury was pleading him, there was nothing else she could do now, only beg him, beg him not to punish her friends for her stupidity.  
  
Nephrite stared in surprise, was he really seeing what he was seeing, or hearing what he was hearing? Was a sailor scout begging him for mercy?  
  
"Your name is Amy right?" he asked a question that seemed out of place in this situation.  
  
Amy looked up startled and nodded.  
  
"Come with me, I want to show you something." He stood up and waved his hand. A passageway appeared in the wall and he walked through it.  
  
Amy didn't have much to do, and she didn't want to get Nephrite angry, for all she knew he could still destroy her. She watched as his black cloak trailed behind him (the same kind malachite wears only black, my little invention) as she followed him to what looked like a balcony. She looked on with a feeling that was almost awe, the sky was blood red, everything seemed dark and corrupted, a whole city twisted in its' shape and color lay below. This was the first time she has seen what negaverse actually was.  
  
Nephrite stepped aside to let her pass in front of him, surprisingly, looking as she did now, she didn't even look out of place here. He came up right behind her and put his hands on her shoulders feeling the girl tense up. Nephrite only now noticed just how much taller he was then her, standing there beside him, she looked so vulnerable, not like a threat to him at all. He leaned down and whispered in her ear  
  
"See that, this is my home, this is where I lived for so very long. Ever seen my Queen, maybe I should introduce you to her." He moved his hand from her shoulder and held it up in front of both of them projecting her an image of Queen Beryl in her hideous throne room, then the image disappeared. "She is evil, you know, look down there" he pointed at the city below "they don't know what happiness is, all they have ever done as I did, was serve that woman on the throne, if you scouts don't destroy us when we fail, she does.I loose to you, I die by her hand, can you blame me for trying every way I can to survive?" Amy was shocked, this place was hideous, seeing this, she could understand just a bit better why the generals were so cruel. There were monsters all over, only a few inhabitants here resembled anything human. Amy was so into her thoughts that she didn't even notice when Nephrite pulled his arms around her, until he whispered right in her ear again. "Can you blame us for being what we are when we have lived our entire lives in here.you know, I'm not from around here, want to know where I am from?" he asked quietly. 'Not from around here?' thought Amy, what does he mean?  
  
"Where?" she asked quietly lowering her eyes and shockingly she didn't want him to remove his arms from around her, she was afraid that one of the flying monsters might swipe her away.  
  
"Jupiter."  
  
The answer came like a shock to her, he was from Jupiter? But how? This couldn't be, could it?  
  
"Then why do you serve the negaverse, I thought that the negaverse destroyed Jupiter" she whispered completely confused now.  
  
"You want to know why? Maybe I'll tell you, give you a little lesson on your own history. There were five of us, five young boys, we were only children serving queen Serenity. Me, Jaedite, Malachite, Zoicite and Endinion. We were all from different planets, a contribution from each planet, a gift to the queen of the moon. Earth was the only planet that gave its prince to the Queen. The other rulers of each planet all had sons as well as daughters, but none of them wanted to give up their children, they picked someone elses' children to give to the moon. They took us away from our families, I was only seven, Malachite was ten, we were the first ones to be sent to the moon. We spent two years there until the other two kingdoms sent in their so called contribution, Jaedite who was then old enough to come at the age of seven and Zoicite who was only five. We stayed there, we trained there, until only a month later a war broke out.  
  
We were only children, and you know what we were expected to do? We were expected to sacrifice our lives for your queen. She was still young then and this was not the war that destroyed the moon, it was a lie that the Silver Millenium was a time of complete peace, as long as there is no fighting on the moon itself, then that means that there is peace for them. The five of us were taken prisoners and sold to the negaverse as slaves. We soon learnt to survive in our own way. We grew stronger, we moved up in rank, we became generals but we have always hoped that someone will come for us, that someone will rescue us. But guess what, the planets of our home solar system, or rather, their rulers, they have abandoned us. And so have the oh so kind Queen Serenity. All we have ever known was hate, pain, and destruction, ever since we were so young, and you think that it is wrong for us to serve the negaverse, is it wrong for us to serve the darkness when the so called light threw us right into it?"  
  
Nephrite finished his tale and Amy just stared in front of her in shock. She couldn't believe this could be true. She didn't want to believe this was true, but one thing she knew was true, the generals were not from the negaverse, all the creatures from the negaverse looked at least somehow demonic. The four generals looked beautiful if not for their cold eyes and hearts. Amy was beginning to think about the fact that it might not even be their fault. Where there were only darkness and light before in her life there were now beginning to show up shades of grey. Where she thought light was purity she thought now that it might not be as pure as she used to believe. Where she thought darkness was evil she was now beginning to see that it is only trying to survive, or at least the creatures that live in its' shadow do.  
  
Amy shook her head, she could not comprehend that this was true, she couldn't believe that queen serenity would send five year old children to war.  
  
"Maybe, maybe they couldn't rescue you, maybe there was no way to rescue you?" she tried desperately.  
  
"We thought so Mercury, that is until they came for Endimion. Soldiers broke in, they fought of the guards took him and left us. I can still remember Zoicite holding onto a soldiers' arm, a mercurian soldiers' arm crying and begging to take him with them. And I remember that soldier pushing the crying child away. We were nothing to them, they got their prince, they could've taken us home, but they didn't."  
  
"I don't understand, if they could've, why didn't they?" Amy was shocked by what Nephrite was telling her. She turned around to look at him and she could still see the hurt in his cold eyes, deep inside there was still hurt. She even forgot who Nephrite was, who she was, she was feeling for him.  
  
"They didn't want us back, if we were taken back, first, it would be known that there was a war, second it would be known that moon kingdom is sending children to die, second other things about the moon kingdom would have been uncovered."  
  
Nephrite looked at the shocked Amy and could tell that she believed him, somehow she could see beyond his ice.  
  
"Zoicite would kill me for this, he is a mercurian and he never forgave you know." said Nephrite watching the girl closely.  
  
Amy looked down, somehow she couldn't bring herself to hate these men any more, knowing what has happened to them, what her own home government done to them. Zoicite, a mercurian? That psychopath was a mercurian? Well, she couldn't blame him, he was through a lot, wasn't he?  
  
"If you were so wronged when you were so young by our kingdoms, why are you then standing here telling me this, I thought you would want to destroy me?" asked Amy.  
  
"I don't think you knew the whole story Amy, and look around, look around all the ugliness here, can you blame me for looking at you and wanting to keep you here with me, you are very beautiful Mercury."  
  
Amy all of a sudden became very aware of Nephrites' arms around her. He couldn't, could he? What did it matter, she was alive, she could be dead, this man was still her enemy, he could still do anything to her he wanted, her priority was to stay alive.  
  
Amy couldn't help but shiver a little, she has never been this close to anyone, any man that is. She guessed that you couldn't call Nephrite a boy any more, he was much older then her.  
  
"Nephrite, if you don't use me as a bait I'll stay with you, I'll do anything you want, please." she looked up at him. She knew from the start that she has doomed herself, she wasn't ever going back home because she has seen the negaverse and would be able to show the others the way had they let her go, she was only hoping now, that she could save her friends.  
  
Nephrite looked down at the girl, Amy, she wasn't even afraid any more, she was just worried about the others, suppose he could live with this.  
  
"You care too much about them for your own good Mercury, do I have your word that if I don't tell the scouts you are here and not use you to lure them in, that you will not leave my side, not even if they find you on their own and come for you?" he looked her deep in the eyes being completely serious.  
  
Amy was startled, was he actually going to agree. She was startled because she didn't think he would, considering that he could still do anything to her without her wanting it or not.  
  
"You have my word Nephrite." she said after some thought. It was painful to give this promise, it hurt so much, but she had to save the others.  
  
'I'm sorry my friends, I'm so sorry.' she thought as tears once again fell from her now closed eyes. Amy felt herself being drawn closer to the 'evil' general she has learnt to hate in the past. Strong arms wrapped around her holding her too gently. It was wrong, he wasn't supposed to be nice to her, she wasn't supposed to feel for him, he was supposed to destroy, she was supposed to hate him.but they didn't.  
  
She cried freely now despite his warning to knock her out if she did, but he didn't try to, he just held her. Amy held on to her once enemy, perhaps still enemy, and all she could tell was that if he continued to hold her like this, perhaps she could make it through this somehow.  
  
AN: Well, I can leave of right here, or I can continue, tell me if I should. I am such a fan of weird couples, poor Amy. 


	2. affection

Raye, Lita and Mina were waiting at the Cherry Hill temple. The Sailor Scouts had a meeting, but two of them were late. It was no surprise that Serena was late though.  
  
"Aggrrrrrr, that girl is always late!" growled Raye in total frustration, "When will she ever get a watch!"  
  
"Serena, I understand that, but my question is, where is Amy, she's never late, this is strange."Lita looked up at the sky trying to figure out what time might it be.  
  
"Relax, she's probably just waiting for the meatball-head." said Mina cheerfully dismissing Litas' worried comment.  
  
Half an hour later Serena came storming into the normally peaceful temple  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so, so very sorry!!!" she was blabbering, panting and blabbering more as she tried desperately to catch her breath.  
  
"What held you up this t.Where's Amy?" Ray was about to yell at her, but then she noticed that the senshi of ice was not with Serena.  
  
"Amy, I don't know, she wasn't in class today, I thought that one of you knew something about it." inside Serena sighed relieved that she was not going to get yelled at.  
  
"She wasn't in class?!" Serena flinched as all the present bodies capable of speech yelled at the same time, "What's such a big deal, it's not like you yell when I'm not at school!" it was true though, Amy not being at school was a very big deal, the young mercurian valued studying above many things and she would never miss school without a very serious reason.  
  
"Hummm, come to think about it, I haven't seen her all day, maybe she's sick, anyone wants to come with me and see?" Serena finally caught her breath and was able to speak normally.  
  
"Where are we going?" asked Mina who only now seemed to wake up from her daydreaming.  
  
"To Amy's place, I'm worried, not a word from her since last night, this is not normal" Lita broke in again. She has been worried for a while now, but now that Serena showed up saying that Amy is nowhere around, she was even more worried.  
  
"Oh, Amy, that's right" Mina sweat-dropped.  
  
(In front of Amys' house)  
  
"Why won't she open the door!" exclaimed Raye after five minutes of unsuccessful banging on the poor door.  
  
"Maybe she's not home?" suggested Mina  
  
"Where could she have gone?" Lita whispered as she leaned against the wall and looked up at the sky again, it was a habit of hers when she was worried. "She was not at the school, she hasn't called anyone and no one has seen her, this is not like Amy, if she had to go somewhere she would most definitely call, any ideas?"  
  
"Maybe the negaverse got her, those freaks have been awfully quiet lately, who knows what they were planning." Minas' good mood has diminished by now and like the rest of the girls she was getting pretty worried.  
  
"Lets not draw conclusions just yet, how about we split up and look for her" Raye who was silent for a while gave up on banging the door and was now facing the rest of the scouts.  
  
"Ok, everyone, how about this, Raye, you take the schools and libraries, Serena, you take restaurants, arcades and any unlikely places for Amy to go to but that you visit a lot, Lita, go as a scout and take the streets, I'm sure you can handle that, Luna, Artemis, you look anywhere that we can not get into, all the most unlikely places, I'll take the malls and the gyms, who knows, maybe she is somewhere out there" Mina stood up and was about to leave before she turned around again "We'll meet back at Cherry Hill temple in three hours, good luck everywhere and be careful" with that all the senshi went into different directions to look for Amy in all the possible different places.  
  
They would use their communicators if any of the got in trouble or found Amy, but for some reason Lita didn't think that they would find her. The reason was that Amy would not be in one of those places having fun when she knew that they had a meeting, it was just not how Amy operated. But even though, Lita shook of the thought and went along with the search, who knows, maybe they'll find something.  
  
In three hours the scouts were exhausted and clueless. There was not a single sighting of their blue haired friend, Amy was not at an of her usual places, she was not at any of her unusual places, she was nowhere to be found, as if she just disappeared into thin air. She wouldn't even answer her communicator and none of them had a computer like she did so they couldn't find her that way either.  
  
And to make things worse Lita has not returned yet. Raye contacted her on the communicator half an hour ago, but she was not answering.  
  
"Not Lita too, what's the matter with us all of a sudden, is this some kind of scout disappearance day?" Mina was not too happy with this situation, not happy at all for that matter.  
  
Fortunately at that moment Lita decided to show up.  
  
"Where in hell were you, we were worried!" yelled Raye waking up the sleeping Serena.  
  
Sorry, but I think I found something." Lita jumped down from the roof she was currently on and continued "there is some guy selling newspapers by Amys' house, he said that he saw a girl with blue hair and dressed in slutty clothes go into a club yesterday, I didn't believe that it was Amy at first, but I showed him her picture, he was confident it was her."  
  
"Amy, dressed in slutty clothes, go into a club, that couldn't be." Even Serena was skeptical.  
  
"I thought so too, but we have no other lead I presume by your concerned faces, we have to take this one. I was not able to go into the club right away, it was still closed, but it opens in about one hour, we can go there and ask the people working there, they tend to take note of new faces, I really do think that Amy was new at a club, if it was even her." Lita sat down to rest, they would go later on, and for now, they could just talk and plan what they would do if there was no lead at the club.  
  
(In the negaverse)  
  
Amy was sitting on a chair by the window looking over the place she has come to hate over time so much. She had a lot of time on her hands not, Nephrite and Jaedite were out on another raid and she was left alone to think. Amy had a lot to think about too.  
  
The senshi of ice was beginning to understand how one who lived in this place for so long could turn out so evil, this place was hideous. Corruption was everywhere, even the ground itself seemed to breathe and radiate that corruption.  
  
Loneliness was all around Amy, she has never felt so alone in her life even though a lot of times she was alone, she has realized now that the reason must be because she never had time to actually think about it, always studying, always working, never really thinking about her life that much.  
  
Only now that Amy had time to think about it she realized that she never really belonged among her friends. They were fire, lightning, love and light, all warm, all together, she was ice, the cold element foreign among them.  
  
Sometimes Amy even thought that they only used her for her knowledge, to tell them how to solve a problem or to scan through enemy forces with her computer and visors, sometimes she wondered if they were really her friends.  
  
Mercury was not blaming them though, why would any of them ever want to have her around, the cold and composed Amy, the one who only knows how to study and never have any fun. Amy thought that even though she is such a worthless person, they are still probably looking for her now, they shouldn't, she is not worth the trouble, but she knew they still would.  
  
Amy felt like she was disgrace, a disgrace to herself and the rest of the scouts. At the moment she was actually thankful to Jaedite and Nephrite for taking her here, for not making her face her friends in her pitiful state. Even the negaverse generals have shown her mercy, they have not destroyed her, they kept her here away from shame, she was even thankful to Nephrite for taking away her transformation stick, she was not worthy to own such a precious object.  
  
Amy has never felt so depressed and worthless in her life. She had no idea what she was going to do with herself, even less of an idea as to how she was going to survive this life, the whole thing was so strange. Silent crystalline tears have made their way back on her face, she thought that she had no more tears left to cry, she was wrong.  
  
Mercury thought that perhaps it was right that she has ended up here, a low and disgusting creature like herself. A creature that betrays her friends and puts them in danger because of a moments worth of dirty pleasure, she was lower then even the lowest creature in this forsaken place.  
  
As Mercury fell deeper into her depression she was starting to feel so low and corrupted that she was beginning to think that even this place was too good for her. Guilt was present strong in her heart and her self esteem was dropping like a rock, there was just nothing there to make her feel better.  
  
Amys' thoughts have been interrupted as a pair of strong hands grabbed her and threw her to the floor. Her first instinct was to fight back, but as she glanced at her attacker all desire for a battle has drained from her at once. Her face paled enormously as she looked at the person before her. Zoicite. Amy has dreaded this meeting the most, especially after what Nephrite told her.  
  
The girl had yet another guilt attack, she could not look into the green, angry eyes of the youngest of the four generals. She looked down not wanting to meet those eyes, it hurt, it hurt so much.  
  
"Look who we have here, if it isn't Princess Mercury herself, what do I owe you for gracing us with your royal presence?" Zoicite bowed mockingly before the girl.  
  
Amy felt horrible, it seemed that anywhere she went she caused someone pain.  
  
"I'm not a princess Zoicite, I'm not Sailor Mercury, I'm not sailor anything, if you must call me anything then call me Amy." Her voice was surprisingly calm and at the same time cold, not rude cold, more like empty, void cold.  
  
"I will call you anything I like to call you, you Sailor Brat!" Zoicite was just as annoyed by her telling him what to call her as he was confused by what she meant, but he didn't show the later.  
  
"Call me a brat, fine, but don't call me a sailor brat, a traitor brat would be a more appropriate name for me now." Mercurys' head sank even lower, she had no strength left in her voice, only complete misery.  
  
Ziocite laughed.  
  
"Traitor, how appropriate, you're a traitor in more ways then you know, all you mercurians are!"  
  
"Aren't you a mercurian Zoicite?" Amy dared to look up into his eyes that just for a moment widened in shock before narrowing dangerously at her comment.  
  
Before Amy could react Zoicite has sent a weak wave of energy in her direction, as weak as it was it was strong enough to slam the girl into a wall very painfully.  
  
"That should teach you, you little bitch, never, never call me a mercurian again!"  
  
Amy was scared, but she couldn't just leave it at that, she had to make him realize that she hasn't meant for it to happen as it did.  
  
"I'm sorry Zoicite." she whispered her strength failing her.  
  
She didn't have to speak loud though, he heard her just fine.  
  
"What?!" In an instance Zoicite was beside Amy and was grabbing her throat pining her to the wall. "What did you say you little spoiled royal bitch?!"  
  
"I said I'm sorry,. I'm sorry for what happened to you,. I'm sorry that you were left here, .but it wasn't my fault,. I didn't even know!" Amy was choking in his strong grip, she could barely talk.  
  
Zoicite growled and only squeezed tighter  
  
"You are sorry, look at that, she is fucking sorry!" he laughed "who do you think you are, who do you think I am, do you really think that you can just come here and say that you are sorry for destroying my life and I'm supposed to forgive you?!"  
  
Zoicite shook his head slowly in disbelief before shoving Amy back on the ground. He backed away from the crying and coughing girl still shaking his head his eyes wide in shock.  
  
"Never.never." whispered Zoicite before disappearing out of the room.  
  
The girl managed to crawl over to the window and force it open. For once, the cold and merciless air of the negaverse was welcomed by her as she struggled for every breath of oxygen. When she was finally able to breathe she felt very weak all of a sudden and with nothing to support her she slid back down on the floor leaning against the wall.  
  
For some reason, she felt very cold and nauseated, managing to get up she ran to the bathroom and was instantly sick. It was surprising that she could be sick since she barely ate anything last night.  
  
Amy stumbled out of the bathroom, her legs felt like cotton, so wobbly and unstable. She managed to get to the bed and fell right on top of it exploding in tears. Everyone hated her, every single soul here seemed to hate her. Amy was shivering, it was cold and she did not shut the window, she couldn't be bothered to get up and shut it. It will shut itself eventually, even the walls here seemed to be alive and have a mind of their own, they shrunk away from her when she leaned on them.  
  
The thought for some reason seemed funny to Amy, even the walls, even the fucking walls hated her! The girl curled into a tight ball and started to laugh, quiet psychotic kind of laughter only sometimes interrupted by fits of crying.  
  
The always calm and composed Amy was breaking down. She was hysterical and completely psychotic. In that state she was found by Nephrite.  
  
"What happened to you?" he sat down on the bed beside her and stroked her hair absentmindedly.  
  
Nephrite had a very good idea as to what happened to her, Zoicite must've found out that the princess of Mercury was here. Jaedite, can't he ever keep what he knows to himself?! Nephrite wasn't sure why he was mad or why he cared about the girl that was not very long ago his enemy, but what did that matter?  
  
Amy sobbed as she felt a hand brush against her face and hair. She knew who it was, Nephrite has returned, she just didn't know what she should do. Should she throw herself at him and cry on his shoulder like she did last time, or should she walk away. She knew that she couldn't do the later, not only because of her promise, she just couldn't.  
  
She couldn't face being alone, she couldn't face her friends either, she had no where to go.  
  
"Nephrite.?" the girl almost whined his name questioningly as she dared to look up.  
  
Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. She was shaking because she was very cold, she now wished that she wore just a bit more cloth when she went to that stupid club. She looked so miserable, so alone, so lost.  
  
Nephrite couldn't bare to look at her like that. He has seen heartbreak before, he has seen pain before, he has felt too much of it himself to be able to look at it and not care. Had she been his enemy still, he would not care, he would hurt her, destroy her, and not care. But could she still be considered his enemy, if not friend, she was still his, she belonged to him, only yesterday he held her in his arms as she cried on his shoulder and promised that she will never leave him. She was his, he couldn't look at someone that was his and not care.  
  
Pulling the girl up he seated her in his lap and started looking over her. Her face was fine, but there was a huge bruise on her neck. Everything else seemed fine. Nephrite ran his fingers over the bruise, Amy flinched, it still hurt a lot.  
  
Nephrite couldn't heal it completely, but he could help the pain go away.  
  
"There, that should feel better." he drew the girl closer wrapping his cloak around her shivering body. There was a small light and warmth and the next thing Amy knew she was wearing the grey negaverse uniform.  
  
The girl didn't care, at least she was warm.  
  
"Thank you." she whispered as she leaned against his chest putting her head on his shoulder.  
  
Tears were still running down her pale face, but the sobs stopped. So once again she was in Nephrites' arms crying away her pain.  
  
"Thank me another way Amy." whispered Nephrite as he tilted her chin up and slowly pressed his lips against hers.  
  
Amys' body stiffened in shock, waves of icy fire were running down her spine as she shivered, but not because of the cold. She was feeling hot all of a sudden, very hot. Her head felt light and had she not been sitting in Nephrites' lap she would have most definitely fall. Amys' eyes fell closed as she gripped onto Nephrites' arms with her hands.  
  
This was crazy, Amy thought that she was crazy, she was kissing her one time worst enemy, but she couldn't help it. Amy gave in, she needed to be held, she needed someone to care, she needed someone by her side or she might not make it here on her own.  
  
Their lips parted, it was not a passionate kiss, just a chaste and small kiss, but it brought up emotions that neither Amy nor Nephrite felt before. It wasn't love, they were long way from love. You can't love someone you barely know, someone who you hated just a day before, no, you can't love like that right away, only in fairy tales. But it was affection, affection that one day might grow into friendship, affection that sometimes may even grow into love, the affection that might just keep Amy alive long enough for that to happen.  
  
Nephrite held Amy in his arms stroking her hair gently. He leaned back against the backboard of his bed that was also the wall the bed was attached to and pulled Amy to lie on top of his chest, he thought he might as well get comfortable, as he didn't thing he was going to go anywhere for a while. For the first time during her time in the negaverse Amy smiled, it was not a big smile, no, she was not happy, she was just content.  
  
And elsewhere, somewhere on earth, a group of friends were at a nightclub showing a picture of their lost friend to a bartender.  
  
"Yes, I've seen her yesterday, she was with a pair of strange guys in grey suits, one wore a cloak, believe me or not, he did, I remember she left with them, and then I blanked out, must've had a drink to many."  
  
The girls paled at the realization.  
  
"Amy." whispered Serena as she fell to her knees and cried for her friend."Will I ever see you again Sailor Mercury.?"  
  
AN: Here you go guys, I decided to continue, thanks to all of your nice reviews and the requests of all lovers of strange pairings. I, being as evil as I am, made so that again I may stop right here and my fiction would still be complete, if you want me to continue, you will have to review and tell me that you do. 


	3. revelations

Amy woke up in an unfamiliar place. It took her a few moments to realize where she was, still back at Nephrite's room, in the negaverce. Right, she remembered. She stood up a little shakily and walked over to a mirror. Her eyes were red, her hair was all messed up and she was wearing a negaverse uniform.gosh, did she ever look strange in it. The grey suited her though, it somehow blended with the blue of her hair making it all look a little mist-like.  
  
The girl dismissed the thoughts, she wasn't going to ponder her situation any more, she was just going to try and survive in it. She was starving, she needed to eat something, she hadn't ate anything since the time Nephrite and Jaedite found her at the club. Looking around she realized that Nephrite was already gone, figures, those guys never rest. Only now was Amy realizing how wrong they were when they sometimes would think that the negaverce has hushed up for a while, they were not sitting lazily on their butts, they always did something, it was just that the scouts didn't always know what.  
  
Running a hand through her hair to smooth it out Amy decided to look around. Nephrite warned her that only the four generals ever went down to Earth and that the rest here should not recognize her, but she should still be careful. Amy decided to heed his advice, being careful meant acting like you belong.  
  
The senshi sighed and exited Nephrite's room. There were not too many people passing her by, well, creatures. She still didn't meet anyone who resembled a human being like she did. Her looking like the four generals gained her some authority among the common monsters she noticed, they tended to give way to her probably thinking that she was more powerful then them.  
  
She wondered the corridors and halls until she found what was surprisingly a cafeteria. She looked at the food that all kinds of creatures ate, it didn't look like anything, she has ever ate before, and a lot of it was glowing.  
  
'Can't be too good for me' thought Amy as she turned around to leave until she hear a voice from behind her and felt a tap on her shoulder.  
  
She turned around alarmed and automatically raised her hand defensively.  
  
"Wow, calm down, I was just wondering if you needed help, you seem lost, that all"  
  
Before her stood a guy with short white hair like Malachilte's only short and wavy like Jaedites. He would look almost normal and human if for two small traits, his skin was very pale and had a bluish tint and his ears were slightly pointed. She guessed that he was of a higher rank though because he did approach her and because normal monsters didn't wear uniforms.  
  
Amy raised an eyebrow skeptically, she didn't trust anyone here, especially some weird looking guy whom she didn't even know.  
  
"Why would you want to help me?" she snapped a little angrier then she intended to. The guy didn't seem fazed, most likely he had expected this, after all, they were in the negaverce, no one here just helps you for no reason.  
  
"No big deal, I was bored. The division is out target practicing, and I'm suspended, so I was looking for something to kill the time"  
  
That seemed like a good enough reason for Amy, she was not looking forward to wondering around this place forever on her own either. And he also seemed harmless enough, so she supposed that she could go along for a while.  
  
"Whatever" she said "Do you know where I can get something to eat and I mean something edible?" she glanced at the monsters and what they were eating in disgust.  
  
"You are new here, aren't you? I heard about a portion of new recruits coming in, must be one of them."  
  
Amy didn't say anything, new recruits, what was that all about? She didn't know anything about negaverse recruiting, but if that was true, they were planning something big. Mercury's heart sank, she had this knowledge, she knew now that she can have all the 'inside' knowledge they might ever need to defeat negaverce, but she could not tell the others. This was perhaps the hardest part of it all.  
  
"You the silent type then ha? Well, I guess general Malachite would like to take you under his wing then, he likes the silent types."  
  
"No thanks, I'm with general Nephrite." Amy shut up as soon as she said it, why did she say it, she was talking like she served the negaverce! More accurately, she was talking as if she served Nephrite!!!  
  
"I see, they say he's all right, don't know much about him, personally, my division is under Jaedite's watch and to tell you the truth, it ain't sweet, the guy has no patience what so ever."  
  
"So I heard" said Amy thinking back to Jaedite and how he was sometimes when they had to face him.  
  
"Ok, here we are, you can pick whatever you want here, this is more edible then what is given to those freaks out there.  
  
Amy looked at what was on the table before them, some round things that looked like meatballs in sauce, something that resembled roasted meat and something else that looked like some kind of fruits or vegetables, or whatever it was. There was also something that looked like fish with multiple fins and eyes, that was the closest she came to knowing what she was eating. And there were energy drinks, some fuzzy liquid with pure energy infused in it. Amy could guess where the energy came from, she didn't need to be told that.  
  
"I'd rather have you pick, I still have no idea what this stuff is." Amy said looking at the food warily.  
  
"Well, if you say so, personally, I would not touch the food, the drink has everything one needs, and there is less chance that you'll be poisoned by eating something that is not good for your species, whatever you are." He said smirking a little.  
  
"Right." Said Amy apathetically, how in hell was she supposed to drink that?!  
  
She poured herself a drink, it was so weird, it fizzed inside and the energy was literally snaking around her hand as she held the glass. It was so weird and disgusting, but she needed some kind of nourishment, she was not about to die here just because she is disgusted.  
  
She took a sip. The sensation that she felt was so different from anything she has ever felt before. It was overwhelming to say the least, the pure energy was fed straight into her making the fatigue go away instantly. Her body did not need to digest it, did not need to do anything to it to make it suitable for intake, it was already ready to be used.  
  
Amy emptied the glass very fast, she needed the energy, and she needed it a lot.  
  
"Wow buddy, someone was on a diet for a while, how long were you starving for?" Amy glared at the guy, she was not about to be telling him any details. It was fortunate that Amy was in a cranky mood, if she wasn't, she would pass for too nice and even be a suspicious character in here, perhaps her own crankiness saved her this time.  
  
"Fine, don't answer, not that I care anyways. But tell me this, why is it that I don't feel any nega-energy inside of you, you don't have any power or something?" he looked at her suspiciously and then remembered. "Ah! Of course, there was one person missing yesterday at the welcoming ceremony of the new recruits, you must've been that person, that's why you are different. Guess you didn't get your welcome gift then, c'mon, that can be taken care of" he grabbed Amy's hand and teleported them somewhere.  
  
Mercury gasped as they were teleported into a different room. Missing person, what in hell was he talking about?  
  
It was a coincidence, the person the guy was talking about was killed, but no one knew that.  
  
Amy pulled her hand out of his grasp  
  
"What in hell are you doing?!" she yelled angrily, she was not in the mood to be dragged around by some nega-freak and allow him to do anything he wanted with her just because she didn't have any power. The whole atmosphere of this place was making her edgy and more prone to snapping back at someone then she normally would.  
  
"Just making sure you're not left behind, you'd be in big trouble with no power in this place."  
  
"Wha?" Amy didn't get to finish as she was pushed into a tube-like thing that closed around her trapping her in some kind of claws. The thing looked like the two leaves of the giant venutian trap plant (don't know if I spelled that right). She was trapped and she panicked. "What! What are you doing?!!!"  
  
"Calm down, just relax and let the thing do what it was made to do." he said as the walls of the thing she was in started to glow.  
  
Amy felt like she was suffocating, the dark energy was entering her body and she could not do a damn thing about it. She panicked even more trying to break free, but she found that she couldn't move. Her whole body was encircled by black vine-like things that carried the dark nega-energy in them.  
  
"Relax, it won't do you any good to fight it, for your own good anyways, don't know why you are freaking out, haven't your kind ever heard of trust, you don't seem to believe one thing that is said to you, so suspicious about everything, shish, you people need to chill a little."  
  
Amy's mind was clouding, she could not resist the energy entering her, more so, it was hard to resist the urge to enjoy what was happening; it felt good. It was like strength was filling you, but at the same time, it was dark, and it made Amy feel regret, it was wrong.  
  
"Hey, I forgot, never asked your name, what should I call you, or should I just continue to call you 'yo, girly looking boy with blue hair'?"  
  
Amy's eyes widened, for a moment she forgot about where she was and what was happening to her, forgot that in a few minutes her entire energy signature was going to be changed. This guy, he thought that she was a boy!!! Ok, Amy, calm down, maybe it is for the best if he thinks you're a guy, less chances he'll recognize you. Her mind was racing a mile per second as she stared at him blankly.  
  
"Amy, name's Amy, your?" she asked trying not to sound weird.  
  
The guy suppressed a giggle, this guy didn't only have girly features, he also had a girly name too. Little did the alien know that this 'guy' was a girl.  
  
"My name's Shen, you might want to not tell many people your name, unless you want to be the next jokes victim."  
  
"Right." said Amy somewhat blankly, her head was buzzing and it was hard to concentrate on him, the new sensations, this energy, it was so different.  
  
The nega-energy was thick, dark and hard to control, it was not natural to her, not adapted to her being. But why would it be, everyone could use this energy when they had it. The nega-energy had a way of mixing with the person's natural energy to create a new power, something different and unique, yet at the same time similar to every other energy signature that was created in a similar way.  
  
Finally Amy could not resist it any more, it was not doing her any good at all, she was only straining herself. She hung her head and just let it happened. As she did, there was a strange sense of distance, it was like being inside her body and at the same time looking at it from the side.  
  
The former Sailor Mercury closed her eyes as she took steady breaths of somewhat cold air in. She could feel the tingling sensation of energy passing through her, like electricity. Her head spun a little, it was like being high or drunk on something, her perception of things was altered a little, her perception of time changed, everything seemed different.  
  
Things were all of a sudden clearer in the dark, her vision was better, her hearing was sharper, she could even smell things better. And there was something else that she has never felt before, she started to pick up on energy signatures, she could vaguely tell apart how strong each one was, she could feel the nega-energy in all creatures here, some were pure, made of that energy completely. Others were like Shen, their energy was some kind of energy mixed with nega-energy. This experience, this new sense, new perception of being, it was so overwhelming.  
  
Slowly Amy opened her eyes, the room looked crystal clear to her now, even Shen looked different. His skin seemed paler, she could see his blue eyes clearer now, and every strand of his silver hair stood out for her.  
  
A few moments later the thing that transformed Amy released her and she fell to her knees disoriented. After a few moments she regained her composure, but she was still a little disoriented, it was like the person who couldn't see well getting glasses and feeling disoriented because everything seemed that much more clear to them.  
  
Amy ran her gloved hand through her messy strands of rich blue hair and leaned against the wall. To her surprise, she was right before, the walls here were indeed alive, it was some kind of deviational plant that could be controlled to grow in whatever fashion one willed it too. And she was right about the walls shying away from her before too, they felt an outsider, and they wanted her away, they didn't move now though and it scared Amy the most.  
  
Was it true, was it really true, was she really a creature of the negaverrce now? She had the negaverce energy running inside of her, and she knew that she could never use her transformation stick again anyways, it would not listen to her now. She sighed as she once again ran a shaky hand through her hair. Glancing up at Shen she noticed that he was looking at her weirdly.  
  
"What's the matter with you?" she asked looking at him suspiciously.  
  
Shen was baking away, the energy that was coming from this 'guy' was not what he expected, whoever 'he' was, 'he' was very strong, Amy was almost at the same level as the four great generals.  
  
Shen's hands shook a little as he took another step away.  
  
"Who in hell are you?!!" he asked scared half to death. This person, whoever this person was 'he' was definitely not the lost recruit that he originally thought 'he' was.  
  
"I thought I told you." said Amy with a tired expression on her face, she thought that the nega-energy will turn her into some kind of monster, make her evil, but it didn't do any of those things, it just made her strong. So she was wrong once again about the negaverce, it's creatures were not evil by nature, they were just raised under conditions that shaped them to be as they were.  
  
"You told me nothing, I've gotta tell someone, this was a mistake, I've got to tell" he was about to run, but before he did, Amy's survival instinct kicked in and throwing out her hand as if to grab him she yelled  
  
"Wait!"  
  
Something that she has not expected happened, a sharp icicle flew right after him and pierced him killing him on the spot. Amy watched in horror, it was not the first time she killed a creature of the negaverce, but this was different, this was the first time she has done it without meaning to.  
  
The guy glowed a little and disappeared into ash, no one will ever know how he died. Amy stared in horror as he disappeared. All of a sudden she wanted to be away from this place, she wished she never left Nephrite's room. Unknowingly, a blue mist surrounded her, first swirling in sparkly waved and spirals around her feet and then encircling her whole.  
  
The next thing Amy knew she was back in Nephrite's room and the mist around her dissipated. She fell forward and was caught by a pair of strong arms.  
  
"So I see you've been exploring, my, did you ever change, I wonder if Nephrite will even recognize his little pet when he sees her." he laughed.  
  
Amy knew who was holding her before he even spoke and before she saw him, she sensed his energy, it was Jaedite. That annoying sarcastic voice, couldn't he ever be a little more humane and not taunt ever single living being he came across?!  
  
Amy didn't say anything, she was shaking and she didn't care if Jaedite held her, she needed the support or she would fall.  
  
"What's wrong with you anyways, it's not like this is the forst time you killed someone."  
  
Amy's eyes widened, so he knew?  
  
"How do you know?" she asked weakly closing her eyes, she could clearly feel the fiery mix of Martian power inside of him, Nephrite was not lying.  
  
"I was watching you."  
  
"Why didn't you stop him, was it fun to see me be changed against my will?"  
  
"Somewhat, but mainly, I didn't stop him because you were becoming a nuisance weak as you were, it would be near impossible to keep you here if Nephrite had to watch you all the time protecting you from anything that came your way"  
  
"So, amn't I considered a threat now?"  
  
"You did promise, didn't you?" he said smirking triumphantly  
  
Amy nodded her head still fully leaning against his chest, she needed to get herself under control before she could pull away from him and stand up straight.  
  
"Where's Nephrite?" she asked sighing a little and taking deep breaths of air to steady herself.  
  
"Reporting to the snake, it's his turn now." Jaedite wrinkled his nose and then without a waning picked Amy up and threw her on Nephrite's bed "I'm not a post you know" he said in an annoyed tone.  
  
Amy didn't reply, she was somewhat relieved that she wasn't forced to lean on Jaedite any more, and she was not worried about him being annoyed, he was not mad at her, just annoyed, she could live with that.  
  
Mercury was laying on her back staring at the ceiling and thinking, she knew better now, that was perhaps why she was no longer so afraid of Jaedite. He was not evil, he was just a person with power, however dark it was serving an evil person. She reasoned that if that was so, all she had to do to keep on his good side and avoid her ass being kicked that however strong was still no match for him, was to treat him like she would any other normal person with a short temper,  
  
"So, now that you can pop in and out of places, what are you going to be doing?" asked Jaedite falling into a chair.  
  
"Watching"  
  
"Watching?"  
  
"Well, what else am I supposed to do, I am not going to be joining you in your cause, I think you know why, and I'm not going to stand in your way because I promised I won't, therefore all I can do is watch. And maybe play pranks on people to pass the time." she said somewhat sadly, in reality, she didn't know what she could do with this new power. The possibilities were endless, but did she really want to think about those?  
  
"Pathetic" murmured Jaedite as he closed his eyes.  
  
At that moment Nephrite chose to appear in the room and immediately sensed the change in Amy.  
  
"Ok, what in hell happened to her?" he asked not Amy but Jaedite suspecting that he had something to do with it.  
  
"To make the long story short, you forgot that she needs to eat, she went out and ended up being thrown into a generator."  
  
Nephrite glared a little, he had an idea that it was against Amy's will and was wondering what would that do to her emotions, he was afraid that she would freak due to the fact that she was technically one with the negaverce.  
  
But as he looked at her, she seemed fine enough.  
  
"Amy?"  
  
"I'm fine, it's not what I expected it to be. You know what I thought, I thought that everyone here is naturally evil, but this, it made me realize that things are not as they seemed. The nega-energy inside a person doesn't make him or her evil, it's like with people on earth, it is what that person thinks, not even does, but thinks inside that head of theirs that makes them what they are"  
  
"Braniac" said Jaedite staring at the girl weirdly.  
  
"Yeah, that's what they all say."  
  
Nephrite was bewildered, she was acting like nothing happened, like everything was just fine. Was it really like she said, was it that they didn't know any better and thought that of every creature that came from here, was that why they destroyed negaverce creatures without giving a second thought to it?  
  
It made sense, it made a lot of very twisted sense now. Amy was not freaking out because she was seeing the other side of the coin, she was finally able so hear both sides of the story. It was different, and bewildering, but it was true. And the only way she was able to truly see it for what it was, was by experiencing it herself. That was why Amy was not mad, or terrified of what she was, she realized that in reality she was still the very same person that she has always been.  
  
Well, not really, revelations have a way of changing people, but that was not unnatural, what mattered that when her energy changed, when she obtained new powers, her heart and mind didn't change, she was still Amy.  
  
Nephrite sat on the bed beside her and stroked her blue hair. She reminded him a lot of Zoicite like this, she was still much weaker then Ziocite, but she was stronger then most others, and her energy, it was just like Zoicite's.  
  
'I bet she can form ice crystals too, Zoicite's special attack, it is only a different version of their original power.'  
  
Amy relaxed as his fingers played with her hair. She didn't feel guilty for being here with them any more, she didn't feel guilty for enjoying Nephrite's company any more. Her previous guilt came from not knowing the situation truly, now she did, she was in a different place, she was in a place where creatures are forced to be strong, cold and even cruel to survive, but not in a place that was evil by nature.  
  
And there was something else, she knew that she would still miss her friends terribly, she missed them every moment, every second, but if she never promised, and left now, she thought that she would miss Nephrite too.  
  
Amy didn't know why she would miss Nephrite, she only truly knew him for a few days, but that didn't matter, what she was finding out bound her closer to him. It was a sense that she needed him because he could understand the knowledge that she now had, the others would never understand, they would think her a traitor. She understood now why he served the negaverce, he just had no other place to go, and this place is not as horrible as one was taught to think. She needed Nephrite to be able to share that knowledge.  
  
And she thought that he needed her too. This place, it was not evil, but it was cold, it was dark, it was ugly and it was corrupted, the fact that it was not evil didn't make it pleasant, in a place like this, she now understood why Jaedite and Nephrite didn't kill her and why Nephrite wanted to keep her, he looking for something better in a place of darkness.  
  
AN: Here you go guys, another weird chapter. I know, this is so strange, Amy gets turned into a negaverse something by accident, and she is not freaking out about it. She is musing about all the things that she didn't know and was now finding out. I know, I'm weird. Pease, review, I love reviews a lot, the more I have the sooner I'll get the next chapter up. 


	4. warriors or tools?

AN: Finnaly! Sorry for the long wait, I'm still alive and yeah, I'm here with yet another chapter of this strange story. Thanks for everyone who reviewed, I love all of the people who bother to read my stories and especially those who take the care to show me that my efforts are appreciated and review!  
  
Raye, Mina, Lita and even Serena were having another meeting at the Cherry Hill temple. It has been a week since Amy's disappearance, and they didn't have any clue as to what really happened to her. Luna and Artemis tried to scan for her, but it was no use, they couldn't find her energy signature anywhere.  
  
What they did find was five energy signatures that stood out from the rest of the negaverce creatures because they were much higher then the common monsters. Luna assumed that those were the generals, and that there was some general that they haven't met yet. They knew of four of them and how dangerous those four were, Jaedite, Nephrite, Malachite and Zoicite were very powerful, the fifth one that they discovered was of lesser power then the other four, but whoever it was, that one was more powerful then any scout alone, and that was all that mattered really.  
  
Little did the scouts know of the identity of this fifth negaverce 'general'.  
  
Lita looked up at the sky for the hundredth time in one hour, she has been doing that a lot for the past week, a sign that she was constantly worried and troubled, and who wouldn't be when for all she knew one of her best friends could be very well dead?  
  
"Luna, did you try scanning for her transformation tool instead of her energy, you know, in case she is not transformed?" that was not what Lita really meant, she was implying what all of them feared for a while, they couldn't find Amy's energy, they all played with the thought that Amy might not be around any more and if she wasn't then the only way they could find her, or at least something of her was by looking for a signal from her transformation wand.  
  
"Good idea Lita, wait a few minutes, I shall try that." Luna's voice was less exited then she hoped it was, she didn't think that it was such a good idea, she has thought of looking for the signal from the tool instead, but that would mean that she was giving up on finding Amy's energy, and she just couldn't bring herself to do it, she was glad that Lita suggested it so she didn't have to suggest it herself.  
  
After a few minutes Luna came back with the results.  
  
"I found it, but I'm afraid it is not very good news. Her transformation wand is in the negaverce as we have expected, but it was not used once during the past week." Luna had a miserable expression on her face. "I know that it is hard, but we have not heard from the negaverce about this for a long time, there was no reason for them to just keep her there so long if they were not going to do anything with her, and she has not transformed once, I'm afraid to say this, but I think that, well, maybe, ummm, perhaps. . ." Luna didn't know what she should say, there was not much to say there, she was only saying what all of them thought at one point of the other during past week of unsuccessful searching, she just didn't know how to fraise it right. She was about to try again when she was interrupted by an angry cry from Serena.  
  
"Shut up!!!" yelled the girl angrily, it was uncharacteristically of her to get this angry, but she has been growing more and more irritable in the past week, the loss of her friend and the lack of any knowledge was killing her. "Shut up Luna!!! Just Shut up! I know Amy is alive, I can feel it, my heart tells me that she is alive, don't you dare even suggest that she might be gone!!! I don't believe this, she is alive, I just know it, she couldn't be gone!!!" Serena yelled bursting into tears.  
  
Darien pulled his arms around her comforting her. On such a special occasion and to discuss a matter of such importance he decided to join the meeting of the scouts against his own nature and customs. This was too important for him to worry about his 'lone fighter' image.  
  
Serena cried into Darien's chest heartbroken, she refused to believe that Amy could be gone for good. The rest of the scouts looked on with sad eyes, pity was in them for Serena, sadness for Amy and desperation at their own helplessness.  
  
To say the truth, the scouts had little hope of finding Mercury alive after all this time, a week was a long time when they were speaking about creatures that killed without thinking twice about it. It never occurred to the scouts that they too killed without thinking twice about it, mainly because they truly didn't think twice when they killed and why would it occur to them all of a sudden when they didn't think about it.  
  
"Serena." whispered Luna sadly. None of them wanted to admit what they secretly came to believe was true, none of them wanted to believe such a thing.  
  
It seemed that all of them were in denial and didn't want to admit that after one week of being missing, when they knew why she was missing and with her signal completely gone, her transformation wand unused and in the negaverce, the chances that Amy was still alive were low, if there was even a chance that she was. In most probability, she has been destroyed the very night she had encountered the two generals, they knew full well that she would not be able to fight one of them, let alone both of them all alone, especially if she, as the bartender had said, was reasonably drunk. Although why Amy was in a club getting drunk was still a mystery to all scouts, a mystery that they doubted they would ever find a solution too.  
  
"Either way," continued Luna getting them back on track, or at least trying, Serena could not be gotten back on track because she was too deep in her grief, "we must still go to the negaverce, even if there is no chance of saving Amy, we have no choice but go."  
  
The scouts looked at Luna confused, it was no secret to all of them that Amy was either dead, or if not dead yet, impossible to be rescued, a raid on the heart of the negaverce was a suicide mission for all of them, and as much as they all loved Amy they would not sacrifice all of their lives on a mission they could not even accomplish.  
  
"I know you are all thinking that I am crazy, but we have no choice, we must go in there."  
  
At this even Serena looked up hopefully but that hope was gone soon when Luna shook her head sadly.  
  
"There is very little chance Serena, as much as we love her, there is very little chance now. We must go there to retrieve the Mercury wand. If Amy is gone, then the new star of Mercury will manifest, and when that happens, we will need that wand. We must put our hearts aside for this, we have a mission to complete, when we started this mission we all knew that we might not survive. And although we never thought about loosing someone under such, ahem, strange consequences, we must carry on no matter what." Luna has finished her sad and somewhat even morbid speech. It was true, they had to carry on no matter what, yet, it was just so hard.  
  
The scouts looked paler then usual, they were all about to be sick, this was their friend they were talking about! They would all risk their lives to attempt a rescue mission for her, even if she might be dead, but risking their lives to attempt a rescue mission of her transformation stick, it was not a pleasant and a very sickening thought.  
  
"Luna!!! How can you!!!" yelled Serena through tears of disbelief "We don't even know if she is dead yet and you are already speaking about getting the wand for another Mercury, how can you do this?!!!" Serena was in shock and disbelief. It was as if Luna was willing enough to accept that Amy was dead when they didn't even know if she was, for all they knew, the negaverce just go her transformation wand, she could have even escaped and trying to get back to them right now, and there was Luna, their guardian and teacher already thinking Amy dead and planning for a new star of mercury, it was sickening.  
  
"That is not what I mean Serena! But we can not go on hoping forever, we have to be real here, and for now, we have to act upon what is more likely then hope for some miracle to happen. We have to be prepared for the worst and be able to do something about it, now, pull yourself together, you have to lead the scouts on this mission, this is important Serena! We don't know if Amy is alive, if she is and you find her, then this is your chance to save her, but if she is not, then the transformation tool has to be gotten back, our mission depends on it!!!" Luna was getting impatient with the girl, she did not want to pass for insensitive, but the girl was just too sentimental right now, they could not afford to be sentimental, this was a war and they had to fight in it.  
  
"All right, stop arguing you two. We are not going anywhere yet, we can't teleport without Amy, remember?" Mina interrupted yet another argument. There seemed to be many of those lately. Serena's kind heart would not allow her to just move on and leave her friend behind, yet Luna had a mission that she had to take care of, saving the world for the guardian cat was ultimately more important then one scout. It was almost as if Amy was replaceable, only the power of Mercury mattered. It made Mina wonder if they themselves were any better then the negaverce in their own struggle to survive in this harsh world.  
  
"While you have been arguing, I have been working on that. Luna is right, we do have to go on and we need the power of Mercury here, even if Amy is alive, we have to go and get it in case she can't get it herself. If not so much because we need it, then to keep the negaverce from using it against us." That made just a little sense for the scouts, they could not afford letting the negaverce use Amy's transformation wand to develop some kind of weapon against them.  
  
"So, what do you have in mind Artemis, how are we getting there anyways?" asked Raye in a tired voice, she has been so exhausted by everything that has been happening lately.  
  
"Well, I found a few warp holes that we could use for portals." Artemis looked a little unsure and with good reason too.  
  
"Aren't those dangerous?" asked Mina worried.  
  
"Technically yes, but there is nothing else that can get us there, and if we do it right, then we can shape the random warps to take us where we need to go."  
  
"And if we make a mistake?" asked Mina even more sure that this was not a good idea then before.  
  
"Well, then you might be transported somewhere else, you might be separated, or you might pass through unharmed." Artemis looked quite nervous, this was not such a safe plan, but this was all they had.  
  
Raye frowned, she didn't like this, she didn't like this from the very beginning.  
  
It was Mina who spoke up again.  
  
"Didn't you forget to mention something Artemis?" her tone was dry and almost harshly cold "Other then being separated or transported somewhere else, you forgot to mention that the warps could destroy us too." She sounded angrier now and very serious, it was their lives on the line; she did not like not having a concrete plan and leaving so much to chance.  
  
"Well," Artemis looked uncomfortable, very uncomfortable. "Yes, you can die, but that is not likely. Besides, if you do it right, then you will not have a problem, it's not that heard, you just have to fire your attacks in precise time and order aiming them in a way so they will collide at particular angles creating a clear passage for you."  
  
"And how do we know?" Ray had a deeper frown on her face now. It seems that they may die even before they ever get to the negaverce and if they were going to risk their lives, she wanted it to be something more worthy then a peace of equipment. Raye didn't like this and she was starting to wonder just how much is the value of their lives, were they only the vessels for the planetary powers, were it only their powers that mattered and not them themselves. She did not doubt the other scouts, but she was starting to doubt Luna and Artemis, the guardians had a mission and it seemed that they would do anything to accomplish their mission.  
  
"I'll tell you how and when to fire, I have it pretty much worked out." Artemis noticed the look that Ray was giving him and he didn't like it, that was the look of rebellion, they could not afford Mars to rebel at this point, they already lost the power of Mercury, they will NOT loose Mars too! "Don't even think about it Mars, you are going, you are going because if you don't, you will be lessening the chances of others to survive, do I make myself clear?!" asked Artemis in a tone never used with the scouts before.  
  
Ray's eyes widened, did he? Did he just speak to her like that?! He did, it was as if he was not giving her a choice, as if he was obliging her to put her life on the line for this. She always thought that she had a choice, and right now she was wondering, just how much of a choice she had, it seemed that she only had a choice while she was cooperating; the moment she was not, and all of a sudden, her free will didn't matter any more, she was all of a sudden obliged to go. And Artemis's voice, it was so threatening, it was not like the voice she was used to, this was all so new and disturbing to her.  
  
Mina too was shocked, she had thought that she knew Artemis well, and now she was wondering, just how much did she know about the guardian cat? Just how much did she know about any of this at all, the silver millennium, the moon kingdom? Even the negaverce, all of a sudden she was wishing that she had known more, all of a sudden she was realizing just how little did the guardians have told them about their mission and she was not liking it.  
  
"Now that that is settled, we are going today, at midnight, the portal that I found is at the top of Tokyo tower, we will meet you there at quarter to midnight. Everyone clear?" everyone nodded except for Darian, he had a distant look on his face, like he was remembering something.  
  
'They haven't changed at all, just like they have always been.sending children of to fight for their peace.' he thought and then the thought left him as if snatched out of his head. 'Where did that come from?' wondered Darian not even knowing why he thought what he thought, who was like before? Who was sending children of to fight? Did he remember something? No, he couldn't recall now, so why did he think that? This was all so strange.  
  
Amy was sitting in the cafeteria drinking an energy shake and reading a tome from the negaverce library. She was surprised that there even were such things in the negaverce. It was the negaverce history that she was reading, and the more she learned, the more interested she became. She has already finished a number of tomes and was now approaching the era of Beryl's rule. So far, she has found out quite a few interesting facts about the negaverce. Their history was actually quite tragic. In their home universe, they were a slave race used by the races that inhabited the surrounding planets. They were not considered real creatures because of the way they were born, not by mating, but by the means of colliding energy. So that was how it was, apparently Beryl never had parents, Amy thought that that was a pity, the woman could have used a pair of those in the past.  
  
The race has existed in the lands longer then any other, and for the longest time it was not a free race, that is, until Beryl came along. She was the one who discovered and unlocked the power that was hidden in those creatures, she led them into war and freed them, only to enslave them again under her own rule and use her people in her own conquest for power. It said that Beryl was a princess from a distant land, of the same race but from so far away that she was not touched by slavery until the expansion of the inner universe included her home into the area of slave control. She was twelve at the time, and at one time having had freedom, was not willing to loose it. Her will unleashed her power, or maybe it was her hatred that grew too great to be contained, either way, she became the ruler of the race and led them into a war, destroying everything that stood in her way and gaining more power then anyone ever did before. That is, until she reached the universe of the moon kingdom where she was finally stopped.  
  
Now, that was a development, it explained a thing or two, at least it explained why Beryl was so bitter, she never forgave, she was still seeking her revenge. Something occurred to Amy, Beryl was not naturally an evil creature like they originally thought, she has chosen to be evil, she could have stopped when they were all free, but she never did, that only made Amy more determined to defeat the evil queen, it was just that she herself could not do anything, she could not break her promise. Ami clenched her eyes bitterly, why, why was it always so, that when knowledge has granted her power, she was never free to use it?!  
  
Slamming the tome shut and startling the lesser soldiers around her who were already very, very edgy around her sensing her greater power and not knowing anything about her save for the fact that her energy was just like Zoicite's which was a very uncomforting thought. She got up and shot them an angry glare which made them shiver. She knew that they were afraid of her, not that she ever hurt anyone here, it was just that she was strong, that she hung out with Nephrite and Jaedite and that her energy was nearly identical to the crazy maniac Zoicite's energy.  
  
Rolling her eyes in her mind Amy stormed out of the cafeteria, her helplessness made her angry, it made her angry at herself all over again, and angry at Nephrite for making her promise. Not that she really blamed him, she was angry that he was giving her so much freedom, if he treated her like a prisoner that she was, then she would have not known so much and would not regret that she could not use her knowledge to help her friends.  
  
Just thinking about it made Amy's blood boil, not that it showed, she looked as calm as ever. Well, not that completely calm, she normally would take better care to pretend that she was calm just so the scouts would not suspect that she was not as goodie to shoes as they deemed her to be.  
  
Amy really was not such a completely nice and innocent girl as she has led the scouts to believe, she just didn't want them to know how angry they made her sometimes, or of her darker thoughts, after all, she was only a person, and persons all had their personal devils inside. It was just that here in the negaverce, she did not feel obliged to hide it so much, in some sense, she had more freedom here then she had when she was back on Earth, at least she could express her true emotions here more freely, not like anyone cared here or would ask her any unwanted questions such as what was wrong with her and what was bothering her.  
  
Amy teleported herself back to the library to put the tome back where it belonged. The icy mist was about to swirl around her once again prepared to take her elsewhere when she sensed someone else appear behind her. With a start she spun around to face the intruder, now that she could sense how powerful creatures around her were, his appearance right behind her was somewhat like a little shock to her unprepared system. How could Zoicite be always so close to him and not feel shivers, but then again, that explained why Zoicite would actually listen to him, Malachite. Amy wondered what he was doing here, but then again, what did she know about Malachite, nothing, for all she knew, this might be a normal place for him to visit.  
  
Despite the fact that it was more then likely that this particular general was more likely to spend his pastime with a book then any other, it still surprised Amy when she realized that Malachite was really here to just bring back a book that he finished reading.  
  
"You haven't changed. Still a book warm." his voice was so deep and calm, it was almost soothing. But a different type of soothing from the voice that Nephrite spoke to her in, his voice was not warm, it was cold, it brought with it the kind of peace that one might find when they are freezing and falling into that blissful sleep unaware that they are dying. Yet, the ice still made Amy feel a connection to him, how strange, it was as if Malachite and Zoicite switched roles, Malachite, a venutian, should be the one who is prone to be somewhat hotheaded, and Zoicite, a mercurian should be the one icy cold, yet, it was just the opposite.  
  
Amy wanted to find a comeback, she wanted to snap at him for appearing before her like that and assuming that he knew her well enough to talk about her habits and what she was usually like, but instead she just found herself nodding quietly. There was something about him that demanded respect, if not obedience, then at least respect. Maybe it was that he was the oldest and the most powerful of the generals, or maybe it was just what he was like, but there was something that made Amy feel almost . . . obedient.  
  
"You are making your suffering greater, you think too much." Malachite spoke to her as he looked through the shelves of books not once glancing at her, it was just his voice that even showed that he knew that she was here, it was almost caring, but why?  
  
"Why do you care Malachite-sama?" Amy never even noticed that she added sama to the end of his name, it was something that came almost naturally, what in hell was going on? Amy never had much contact with Malachite, she has only seen him a couple of times before and never spoken to him, she always saw him as sort of an observer, he would watch Zoicite blow up and loose his temper so calmly, as if it was nothing that concerned him. Malachite was always the figure in the shadows, and sometimes the scouts wondered if he really had any power at all, but just the fact that Zoicite, out of people obeyed him made it clear, yes he did, he was just not concerned about most situations enough to actually bother to get involved. It was only through the icy aura of power and authority that the other scouts ever knew that he could very much be the most powerful of the four, never through first hand experience, Amy was more then glad that, that was the case now, she didn't think that if Malachite ever bothered to get himself involved in one of their fights they would ever make it out alive.  
  
Amy could not understand why she was all of a sudden so meek with Malachite, even less did she understand why he was civil with her. From what she has heard so far, the rumors around this place and some of the records, he was very powerful, very uncaring, very patient, and even more so deadly when his immense patience was exhausted.  
  
Malachite was actually surprised when Amy did not snap at him, he could feel that she was angry, and unlike others, he knew that mercurians, despite their element of ice, were not the calmest of nations.  
  
"I don't care."  
  
Amy was not sure how to place what he was saying, it seemed like he cared, and at the same time it seemed like he didn't.  
  
"Malachite-sama, do you hate me?" she asked the question despite herself, she had thought that he would, she knew that he despised mercury because he cared deeply about Zoicite and was there to see what was done to him, she knew that he was never going to forgive the long dead ghosts that did that to them, but she wanted to know, did he really hate her.  
  
Malachite stopped and for the first time looked at Amy. He was in the middle of the action of reaching for a book when she asked, but now the book was forgotten and he let the half raised hand fall away as he looked at her hard and careful his face betraying nothing of what he might be thinking or feeling.  
  
Amy found that she could not meet his gaze, she was never this close to him before. Amy found that she could talk to him without it feeling awkward that they were being civil to each other because she never really fought him before, she just now realized that she never really considered him her enemy because of that, he was there, but she never faced him in battle before, she never thought of him as enemy before and that made talking to him on such terms easier. But as he looked at her, she also found that it was not only respect that she was involuntarily giving him, something she would not have done if she really considered him her opponent in the past, she found that there was something else, she felt small and defenseless before him and she felt that if he ordered her to do something right now, she didn't think that she would be able to refuse.  
  
This was confusing Amy, where did this power that he had over her came from, he didn't even know her, she didn't know him, they were almost complete strangers to each other, and yet, she felt like he was so much in control of her it was frightening. She only now realized why he was so feared if he supposedly never really done anything, it was his aura, it demanded obedience and respect, and at the same time, it gave her a sense of peace, he was frighteningly intimidating, but not in the way that made her fear for herself, but in the way that was almost like awe at something.  
  
Malachite walked up in front of her and watched as her eyes fell even lower her head lowering a little as he approached her, he realized that she did not do it intentionally, it was her reaction to him and not something conscious.  
  
He stood there for a moment contemplating her question, did he hate her?  
  
Amy became nervous as he stalled, for some reason it was important to her, for some reason she cared if he hated her or not, she didn't care about anyone else in the negaverce and what they thought of her, save for Nephrite, she cared about Nephrite, but still, she hadn't really cared about what Nephrite thought of her, so why was she so concerned about what Nephrite of all people thought of her? She didn't want him to hate her, for some unexplainable reason, she was preying that he would say no, that he would say that he didn't hate her, she didn't know why it was so important to her, it just was.  
  
Nephrite noticed Amy getting nervous, why did she care? Why did he care? Her question stirred something in him, he hated mercury, but his hate lay in the past, she was innocent of the crime that her homeland committed, and while Zoicite was too blinded by hurt and was more then ready to overlook the fact that she was not even born at the time they were betrayed, Malachite was not. Despite the fact that he actually cared less about people then any other general and the fact that he could be much more cruel then Ziocite himself if he only chose to, he had a fair nature, he was fair to his friends as well as his enemies and would not give neither his friends what they did not deserve, nor deny his enemies what they did deserve. Amy deserved her justice, she had not wronged them, she had not even known, therefore, being fair, Malachite did not hate her. Did he care about her then? Of course not! Was he fair to her in giving her a chance to make him care? Yes has was.  
  
Malachite raised his hand and tilted Amy's chin up making her eyes meet him, he could see how much she wanted to avoid his gaze, but he would not let her as he looked deep into her eyes, he saw guilt, even though she has not done anything, her heart was pure, not like the hearts of the ones that came before her, not that she was completely clueless and without her own flaws, but she was innocent of that crime at least.  
  
He let his hand drop seeing as Amy was getting more and more nervous by the moment. Immediately she lowered her head. Ami was feeling like such a little girl right now, she didn't even know what to say or do, what was wrong with her?!  
  
"No." said Malachite simply but honestly, he did not hate her, nor did he care for her either, but there was always room to change both opinions. She could make him care, and she could still make him hate her too.  
  
Amy nearly sighed, she did not know why she was so relieved that he did not hate her, she did not even know how it was that she believed him, but then again, what reason did he have to lie? She watched him go back to looking at books, she could tell that he was thinking about something and she for some reason didn't want to disturb his thoughts. She watched him for a while, she was noticing the recognition pass over his features as he went through the books, it appeared that he had already read a lot of them. Finally, Amy dared to speak again breaking the strange silence, it wasn't uncomfortable, just strange.  
  
"Malachite-sama, what is Zoicite really like?" she didn't think that he would really answer her and she was more then surprised when he did.  
  
"Childish."  
  
That was definitely not what she had expected, she knew Zoiicite to be a dangerous, violent hothead. What in the world was childlike in a sadistic maniac? She was confused, but she reminded herself, she did not know Zoicite, Malachite on the other hand knew him better then anyone else did, he must know something about Zoicite that no one else does. She sighed, Malachite was not going to explain this to her, he didn't seem like the type to talk much at all, no wonder so little was known, but he seemed willing enough to answer if she dared to ask. Amy decided not to pursue it further, she didn't think that Zoicite out of all people was someone to be discussed, but there was someone else that interested her, she did not know why she was asking Malachite, like many other things she didn't seem to know why she was doing, but she found herself asking him nonetheless.  
  
It was about Nephrite that she wanted to ask him, she wanted to know more about the general that took her in. She could feel something about him, she was just not sure what. She did not know what he felt about her either, he seemed to care and like her, but what did she know about that. Even more so, she seemed to start caring about him beyond the point of gratitude and the simple feeling good when someone was nice to you. She found that she was starting to care about him more. Like when he went out and she knew what he was doing, she couldn't help but wish that he would come back soon and that he would not run into problems. She knew that she should be wishing that the scouts found out and stop him, but she just couldn't help it. Or like the fact that she missed him when he was not around, or that she felt happy when he was. She felt lost and she needed advice, for once, she had no idea about something and needed someone else's help. She just didn't know why in the nine hells she was going to ask Malachite out of all the people.  
  
"Malachite-sama, can I ask you something?"  
  
Malachite glanced at her sensing her nervousness and finding it strange that she was all of a sudden wanting to talk to him but as he looked at her he found something familiar in her eyes. She herself looked like a lost child right now, looking for guidance. But from him?! He was more then surprised, he didn't think that Amy would be this helpless. Yet there was something that he could not deny, he was so used to counseling Zoicite when the younger was troubled which was so often that listening to someone's problems and advising someone became natural to him. He just wondered why was it Amy that wanted to talk to him, something like this required trust, and he did not believe that she trusted him.  
  
"Ask then." he said finally finding a book that he hasn't read yet.  
  
Amy swallowed, now, how in hell was she supposed to fraise this. All of a sudden the dark and empty except for them library seemed more menacing to her, now, why was her thought wondering, this never happened before. She noticed that Malachite was patiently waiting for her to speak, apparently he really was as patient as she has heard, something told her that he had an idea that she was seeking his guidance, she just had no clue why he was prepared to listen to her.  
  
"Well, ummm, I was wondering, you know Nephrite well, right, and I was just, I don't know, I guess I was just wondering if you could tell me something about him. I mean, I practically live with him, and I don't know a thing about him, now isn't that awkward." Amy stumbled over the words getting more and more nervous as she went.  
  
Malachite didn't answer at first, instead he walked to what looked like a couch put against a dark wall of the dark library and sat down on it putting his new picked book into his lap and looked at Amy again.  
  
'he looks so light in the surrounding darkness.' thought Amy about Malachite's strange appearance, he looked like he was bathed in moonlight even though there were no light here, just the very faint light that came from the stars somewhere in the distance.  
  
Amy swallowed again, well, at least he was not going anywhere, or at least it didn't seem like he was, but he still didn't say anything.  
  
"Wrong question, you are not interested in Nephrite's life history, try again." Stated Malachite perfectly aware about what it was that Amy wanted to ask him about really.  
  
He still found it strange that she would turn to him, not that she came to him, they just met in the library, but he knew that if they didn't meet now, she would have came, the only reason she didn't before was because she was afraid of Zoicite.  
  
Amy gasped, was she that transparent?! It seemed like she was, the negaverce general seemed to be able to see right through her with his eerie silver/blue eyes. She forced herself to calm down and sighed moving closer. She wanted to sit down too because she didn't think that she could keep standing through this, but she could not bring herself to sit beside him even thought the couch thing was big enough for five people. Instead she slid down to the floor and leaned against the couch pulling her knees to her chest. She was facing away from Malachite and sitting at his feet, but she didn't seem to realize that she was.  
  
"I don't know what to ask, I just know that I want to know more, I just don't know what it is that I want to know." Whispered Amy, she found it easier to talk to Malachite when they were both sitting down, there didn't seem to be that strange tension that was present when they were standing.  
  
She felt like he was going to listen to her, she was at least thankful for that, if he wasn't going to tell her anything, at least she would feel better if she told someone. Amy almost laughed at herself. This was so uncharacteristically of her, she was here, in the negaverce about to open her heart to a negaverce general and ask him what it was that she was feeling for yet another negaverce general, this was even more ridiculous then being drunk and throwing herself into Jaedite's arms, thought Amy bitterly.  
  
"What do you think of him so far?" asked Malachite surprising Amy. She looked up at him questioningly wondering if this was some kind of trick question, but as she looked in his eyes, she found no trace of deceit, he was just trying to get her talking.  
  
"I'm not so sure, he is nice and caring. He spared me and he was kind to me, but I don't understand. I just wonder, does he genuinely like me like he makes it seem, or am I just something to keep his mind of, of things. I'm just so confused, I don't know what I think of anything any more. The more I learn about this place, about the people here, the harder it is for me to stop wondering. Is it wrong, is it wrong for me to like someone here?" her voice almost broke and by the end she stopped speaking it was barely above whisper. Amy was finding it harder and harder to speak about it, it was hard to just say it to someone, especially Malachite, but she had a sense that in this place, Malachite was the only person she could speak with and she thought that if she didn't talk to someone, if she didn't tell someone she would loose it. She needed so desperately from someone to tell her that she was not loosing her mind.  
  
Amy looked at Malachite desperately hoping against all odds that he held an answer for her. What she saw in his eyes shocked her, it was pity. He was actually pitying her. Did he actually care about what she said at all? A minute before she knew that he didn't, but then again, emotions are such strange things, they seem to work in ways that are a mystery to all creatures.  
  
"Do you like him Amy?"  
  
"I-I don't know, it's just, I don't know, I truly don't know. I know that I'm not indifferent, I can't be, not after the way he held me, the way he talked to me." She paused for a moment her voice dropping to barely audible "not after the way he kissed me." Her face turned red and she lowered it ashamed although not sure why, this was wrong, somehow it was wrong. She should not be caring about anyone here, she should not even be telling anyone here anything, let alone things like this, things that she would not even tell her best friends, and yet she was, it seemed like lately her entire being was somehow completely rebelling from all reason and acting upon impulse and emotions alone.  
  
Malachite was actually shocked, he hadn't known how far Nephrite has gone. The girl was confused, that he could tell, but he was just startled, more then he would like to admit. He knew Nephrite long enough to know that Nephrite would never fool around with anyone, Nephrite was always serious about what he did. And if he went as far as to show Amy so much favor, Malachite knew that Nephrite meant it, he was not playing with Amy, he really wanted her for himself.  
  
This was strange as well as dangerous. Sure enough the girl was technically one of them now, he could clearly feel the negaverce energy inside her, the energy that painfully reminded him of Zoicite in it's almost identical similarity to his. As he looked at her sitting at his feet her head down, knees draw to her chest, sheltered by darkness and wearing the grey typical negaverce uniform, he knew that she was here to stay, this was her new home, but one fact could not be overlooked, she was still a sailor senshi, she was still Sailor Mercury.  
  
Malachite was worried about this new developed situation, this could not be good. If Nephrite loved her, and if she did too, then chaos was ensured. It was so because their loyalties would be divided. Malachite knew that Amy was not going to betray her friends and go against them, neither was she going to do the same to Nephrite if she felt for him what Malachite thought she felt. Nephrite was no different, he was not going to abandon the negaverce, but he was not going to abandon her either. The unfortunate thing was that both of them had duties of sorts, they were soldiers from two different armies. When the scouts came for her, or when Beryl found out about her, she would be forced to choose, or Nephrite was going to be forced to choose, and that was a choice neither were willing to make.  
  
Malachite had to know just how much this meant for the girl.  
  
"Amy, do you love Nephrite?" he asked leaning forward a little to look at her more carefully.  
  
She looked up at him with surprise and shock written over her fair face.  
  
"No." she answered confidently "no I don't. But I do feel something, and I can't ignore that. I barely know him, I can't love someone I don't even know, but I can care. I think I care too much." She whispered looking up at Malachite sadly before she looked down again embarrassed once again. She hid her face by turning it away from him and ducking it even lower, why was he asking her anyways, it wasn't like Nephrite could feel so seriously for her, she didn't even know, for all she knew, she was just his pretty little pet to keep around for his own amusement.  
  
"Do you think you could ever love him?"  
  
Amy thought for a few moments, could she? She didn't know, but she thought that she could, he was nice, fair, caring, handsome. If this stupid war to be over, yes, she could love him, it was just the war and the fact that she didn't really know him. After all, she didn't even know how he felt about her.  
  
"I think so, but I don't know. I don't know him, I don't know if I can feel for someone so seriously, someone I barely know. I like him, but I'm so confused. What should I do?" her voice was quiet and very confused, why was he asking her.  
  
"For your own sake, I hope you can love him because Nephrite doesn't fool around. If he said that he wanted you to stay with him and if he treats you like he cares about you more then what is necessary to just keep you here, then he feels for you. Nephrite is kind and caring, but he is also ambitious, if he loves you, he is serious about it, he won't let you go. And I think that he does love you, he is not the type of person to settle for 'like' or just friendship, it would be tragic if you couldn't love him back."  
  
Amy's eyes widened, for once, that was probably the biggest speech that Nephrite has ever said in his life, she wasn't aware that he sometimes would spend hours talking to Zoicite just like this.  
  
"But how do I know? He never said anything, what if he is just trying to be civil? What if he doesn't even like me? I don't want to make a fool out of myself, I don't even know what in hell I'm feeling, it's new, I've never felt it before." Amy looked at Malachite and her eyes showed confusion and a certain innocence that Malachite found that he could not stand by looking in them and not care any more. She has put her trust in him, a man she didn't even know and by all means should consider an enemy, he knew that if she had someone else to turn to she would never talk to him in a million years, but there was no one else so she came to him. She looked so lost, and she reminded him so much about Zoicite, just an intelligent lost little child looking up to her elder for support when she wondered away from the set out path that she was used to walking. Something told Malachite that she was not completely saying the truth when she said that she didn't love Nephrite, if she didn't she would not be here, he just thought that she didn't know that she did herself. That was fine, he was not going to force her into this, her feelings needed time to grow, she was right about one thing, she barely knew Nephrite, one week is barely enough time to fall in love especially with someone who used to be your enemy.  
  
What Malachite did next shocked Amy because she has never seen him do something like that before, he smiled. Not a smirk or a grin, but a genuine smile and it looked so beautiful on his usually cold face. Amy found herself melting in that smile, why in hell was he making her feel like everything was all right. Hell, nothing was all right, she was stuck in the negaverce, turned into something she was not, having strange feelings for someone that she should never have cared for and looking for comfort and advice from someone who she should have never opened her heart to. But his smile nevertheless made it seem like it was all right. She wondered, did he help Ziocite pull through his own life, she didn't think that Zoicite could do it alone, Malachite must've been there for him. Amy felt jealousy and was shocked, she just now realized that she had never had anyone to turn to like this, it was always her that was helping others, there was never really anyone to help her, it was sad realizing so many things that she didn't know about herself here out of all places.  
  
Amy felt miserable now, not because she was confused, but because she was finding things that she has always wanted to have in a place they should not be. She should be with her friends now studying or doing homework, she should not be in the negaverce pouring her soul out to someone she considered to be evil and heartless just one week ago.  
  
Malachite watched the emotions in Amy's eyes shift, there was a momentary happiness there and then there was just misery and confusion. He saw the tears swell up in her eyes, why was she crying? A tear made it's way down her pale cheek and he went against his better judgment and outstretching his hand whipped the tear away.  
  
Amy gasped at his gesture of concern, she hadn't expected him to care, it was already too much that he was listening to her, now he was offering her comfort? It was just too much. More tears made their way down her face and she ducked it averting her eyes from his. Even Malachite was kind to her, the only person who in fact wasn't so far was Zoicite, but she couldn't blame him, everyone else, it was just wrong, they should not be nice to her, they should be the heartless monsters like she has always thought them to be, they should not be like this.  
  
Amy tried to hold back her tears, but they wouldn't stop. She was a little less shocked now when Malachite tilted her chin up gently to look at her face and she saw worry in his eyes, why in hell would he be worried about her? She was no one to him, and yet, she could see that he was worried. It wasn't that he felt any personal concern about her, this, she realized, was simple compassion, it was that natural feeling that appeared when you saw someone hurting, no matter if you didn't even know them.  
  
Malachite stroked the silky blue hair gently, she was like a little girl, so much like Zoicite that it was almost painful. Her resemblance to the boy that he nearly raised was making Malachite act like he usually didn't, it was making him feel more compassion that is normally expected to feel for a stranger, especially from someone like him, normally he wouldn't care, but this was stirring emotions in him that he barely ever showed most people. He was so used to talking care and comforting Zoicite that he couldn't look on indifferently when someone came to him for comfort. Drawing her closer he let her lean against his legs and wrapped his arm and cloak around her as if hiding her away from the cruel world. He had an idea that this was not about Nephrite any more, this was just her general confusion and pain finally coming out, she has been here for a whole week and it was a little too strange that she could just settle in so easily, no, it was just building up inside of her until her emotions once again would break free.  
  
Amy crossed her arms on Malachite's knees and put her head on them letting Malachite put his hand over hear head as she cried, it felt good to be able to cry and not be judged about it, not be expected to do something else. She had never thought that Malachite would ever just let her feel, no one else did before, but she thought that she knew why, not just why Malachite was nice to her, but why mostly everyone here was and why mostly everyone was so conscious about her feelings, feelings were something precious here, love was so rare here that it was treasured like no other. How ironic, it seemed that people here cared more then people on Earth just because they had less of the normal emotions, they paid attention to feelings where on Earth feelings would get ignored. How fucking ironic was that?  
  
As she cried, she involuntarily found herself talking, just random things, random feelings, whatever came to her mind, she was just talking and she was glad that there was someone who could just listen, she has never had a chance to just talk before.  
  
After a while Amy's crying ceased and her sobs stopped, she still couldn't believe that Malachite would just sit there and wait patiently letting her cry, Goddess, out of all the people to offer her a shoulder to cry on, or rather, a knee to cry on, she never thought that it would be someone like him. This was so strange, so wrong, so fucked up. Amy wondered if she was loosing her mind or something. But even as screwed as this situation was, Amy didn't want to let it go, she felt warm and protected, she felt comforted and not so alone, it was like having an older brother that she never had. She smiled a little opening her tear stained eyes but not moving just yet, it was comfortable just sitting there like that for a while. She had her arms crossed over Malachite's knees leaning against his legs with her head on one knee. He was leaning over her his cloak falling over both of them and his hand buried in the locks of her blue hair, he was just watching her and he didn't even seem to mind her presence.  
  
"Amy, you think too much. Just let whatever happens happen, you are making yourself miserable and I don't think that it's because you feel alone or because you are not sure about your feelings for Nephrite, those will clear out as time passes, it's to early for you to worry about that. I think that it's guilt that is making you miserable. Don't feel like you are betraying anyone, you are not, you have no control over this situation, and there is no one who has true control of their heart, so don't make yourself guilty because you have always thought that things should be a certain way and not the other. Things happen for a reason, no one truly knows what the reasons are, but if it's fate, then you can't fight it, if it's not, then it is bound to work out on it's own. You have your own free will, and if you are not free to choose where you are, you are free to choose who your heart belongs to, you are not obliged to hate someone just because up until now you had no choice but to fight them. Luna and Artemis never told you what you are fighting for and who it is you are fighting, you never chose which side to be on, you just fought, you are not obliged to feel a certain way for someone because your friends expect you to feel that way. You try to hard, try to please everyone else, meet everyone's expectations and you don't bother to worry about yourself, your own feelings and objectives. The fighting that you have done up until now, those were not your objectives you were fighting for, those were the objectives your guardians have handed you, they never bothered to tell you much about what it is you are fighting for except for 'it is your destiny to save the world', or for that matter who it is you are fighting. You don't seem to know one bit about us or our objectives, do you even know what it is that you are saving the world from?"  
  
Amy looked up as she listened, Malachite was right, Luna and Artemis have kept her in the dark and she was pretty sure that it was indeed guilt that she was feeling, she just wasn't sure if he was right about her not having to feel guilty, was it true? It was, who were Luna and Artemis to tell her who to feel for and not, who to love and to hate? No one had that right save herself, only she was the holder of her heart and only she could give it, they had no right to tell her how to feel, she just hoped that the others would understand, she didn't care f Luna and Artemis would understand, she just hoped that she could explain this to the other scouts, that is, if it ever even came to this.  
  
Amy nodded a little as Malachite spoke in acknowledgement and even agreement, she could not deny it, her heart was hers only. Then he asked her the question that the answer to has tortured her for a while now, and the answer was no, up until now she had no idea what she was fighting for, who she was fighting and what it was that she was saving the world from. It wasn't like finding out changed her mind that greatly, if she still had a chance she would still fight on the same side that she fought on before, but it was just the fact how little Luna and Artemis thought of them, they didn't even tell them what it was that they risked their lives for, it was as if they had just been tools and more over, they expected them to follow them unquestioningly, if ever given a chance, Amy would still follow them, it just dawned on her that she was never given an opportunity to choose, that was not right.  
  
"No Malachite-sama, they never told us. I would have not changed my mind that greatly if they did, but I would think of it differently, if I were to fight on their side now, at least I would know what it was I was doing. If I were to fight now, I would feel guilt, they were afraid that guilt would cause us to change our minds so they never told us, but guilt sometimes is a good thing, it lets us feel and see the consequence of our actions, it's not right to fight and not be able to see. It's not fair, not fair for you and it's not fair for us."  
  
Malachite looked at Amy satisfied, he was not aiming to change her mind, he was just aiming to remind her that she had a mind of her own and whatever her choice be, it should not depend on anyone but herself. Amy might not have the choice of whether to stay here or not, but she had a choice of how to feel about it.  
  
"Malachite-sama, why help me, even though you said you don't hate me, you still are not obliged to help me, I don't understand, you told me you didn't care?" her eyes showed that innocent curiosity that reminded Malachite just why he wanted to listen to her.  
  
"I was curious about what you had to say, and once I heard, you reminded me of someone and I could no longer turn you away." His hard cold eyes looked into her wide blue ones and it seemed like he could see right through them, right into her soul. And then the sad and lost eyes lit up and she seemed happy.  
  
"Thank you Malachite-sama, no one has ever listened to me before. I truly would have never thought that this situation could ever occur, and it is still very strange to me, but maybe I'll just go with my heart for once. My head still tells me that I've lost my mind, but my heart doesn't want to care, it was nice to be able to just talk and have someone to just listen." She smiled again taking his advice and not worrying for once about weather it was wrong to feel the way she was or not, she just let her heart feel what it wanted to feel and her heart did not agree with her mind that told her that it was wrong to feel gratitude and trust towards someone who was supposed to be your enemy and one of your captors. But as they say, heart has no reason and there is no reasoning with it either, it will feel what it wants to feel regardless what your head tells you. Right or wrong don't exist for the heart.  
  
Amy stood up and stood in front of Malachite.  
  
"It is late now and I must go, Nephrite must be back now and that probably means that I should to. I'm really glad I could talk to you Malachite-sama, Zoicite is lucky to have someone like you by his side. Malachite-sama, can I ever talk to you again?"  
  
Malachite looked at the girl, somehow, she seemed cheered up, like her problems have gone away, they haven't of course, it was probably just that she decided not to think about it all at the same time and let what needs to happen, happen.  
  
Malachite nodded as Amy bowed politely and in a swirl of blue icy mist was gone. She reminded him so much of Zoicite, just as lost, just as naïve and he could tell, just as alone. Her friends have done nothing to change that, never paid attention to her heart, not just her mind. That was the problem with humans, they had too much, too much emotions. So much that they neglected them and forgot that even though they have them they need to nurture them.  
  
"Amy, you are not the only one who's head says that they have lost their mind. I think I've lost mine too when I looked into your eyes." He sighed and picking up his book was gone from the dark library.  
  
Malachite looked at the sleeping form of Zoicite curled up in the black blankets like a cat would be. He looked so innocent and so much like a child when he slept. Zoicite's eyes opened and he gazed up at Malachite and for a few moments his eyes were those soft innocent eyes of a child that he once was before pain tainted his heart, but then he was fully awake and his eyes turned cold and hateful.  
  
"Where in hell were you?!!!" he growled angrily.  
  
"Relax, I was just reading in the library, go back to sleep." Malachite sighed, he has missed the child that Zoicite once was, like a younger brother to Malachite, it hurt to see Zoicite like that. Malachite himself made a small revelation, when Amy came to him, he couldn't turn her down because she helped ease his own pain of loss, she reminded her of Zoicite when he was still a child and Malachite now realized that he wanted that child back, he missed him and he was looking for him wherever he could.  
  
The scouts gathered at the top of the Tokyo tower and waited for Luna and Artemis to tell them what to do.  
  
"Ok team, listen up! Lita, go stand there, Raye, you go there, Mina, you stand between them. Serena, stand in front of Mina." commanded Artemis making them form a triangle. "Now, Lita, Raye and Mina, aim for the center of the warp hole, all at the same time. Serena, as soon as their attacks collide, fire your tiara right in the middle of the energy sphere that is going to form just for a moment, that'll create you a portal."  
  
The scouts nodded and transformed. They got ready, they have gone over the plan a million times now, there was no backing out now, they had to go through with it. Mars, Venus and Jupiter fired their attacks simultaneously at the portal. Just like Artemis said their attacks collided in the very middle and at that time for a split second it took Moon's tiara to reach it, a perfect orb of energy formed. The tiara flew right into it and for a moment nothing happened , but then there was an internal explosion and the dimension ripple became a warp hole sucking everything inside. This was not something that Luna and Artemis mentioned, the scouts had imagined a tunnel that they could walk through, they did not think that they would be sucked in, but apparently the cats were not unaware of what was going to happen because they made sure to hide before it did.  
  
Serena standing at the middle front of the triangle was the first one to be sucked in, she lost her footing and with a scream was engulfed by the swirling darkness soon followed by Mina and then Raye and Lita, if Lita was not a little stronger then Raye and not be able to keep her footing for a few moments longer, they would have collided and taking in account the speed and force with which they were sucked in, they would be pancakes if they collided.  
  
The scouts spun round and round in the tunnel of swirling energy going at such unbearable speed that it alone felt like it was going to crush them. It hurt so much and they could only prey that they did not collide into each other, a collision here would result in an internal warp and ultimately in the end of all of them. An internal warp would be like a black hole, they would all be sucked in and squished till they were nothing.  
  
When the scouts thought that they couldn't take any more pain the warp burst open throwing them hard onto the harsh rocky ground of the negaverce. The shouts didn't move. They just lay there motionless as if dead. The moment they were out of the warp hole they all detransformed, they hadn't even noticed that their energy was completely drained. After what seemed like forever Lita was able to pull herself up just a few inches and crack her green pain filled eyes a little open, everything was spinning, every millimeter of her body hurt like it was on fire, she felt like she wanted to cry, but she couldn't even do that she was so weak. A moment later she was sick and then fell back on the harsh rocks unable to move at all, a moment later she passed out. None of the rest of the scouts showed any sign that they were even still alive.  
  
Amy appeared in the room she shared with Nephrite to find the general and his partner, Jaedite looking at something with very serious expressions. What they were looking at was an orb of dark energy, the kind that is used to see what is happening somewhere else. By the expressions on Jaedite's and Nephrite's faces Amy could tell that whatever they were looking at was not something very good.  
  
"Nephrite, Jaedite, what's going on?" she asked looking at them warily.  
  
"Why don't you come and take a look yourself, we are kind of confused here." Said Jaedite with an edge of sarcasm, that Amy was used to by now, in his voice.  
  
She walked up to the orb and the moment she took a look inside, her face drained of all color, she gasped unable to control her reaction. The good mood that Malachite put her in vanished as if it was never there and she looked like she was either going to faint now, or get sick, or maybe both.  
  
"Oh gods, what have they done." she whispered totally terrified.  
  
AN: this is it, this chapter is out and if you want me to continue, please tell me what you think. Suggestions are greatly appreciated, I like people giving me ideas on how to go about it. Please people, review, your reviews is what motivates me so the more I have the faster the next chapter is going to be out. I know this chapter is a little strange, the whole interaction between Amy and Malachite, but there is a reason for it, but tell me if it seems if she is trusting too fast, I don't want to rush anything so if I am, I'd like you to tell me. In the next chapter, the scouts finally meet the generals, and possibly Amy. I haven't decided if I'll make Amy appear before them, so you are free to tell me if you want Amy to reveal herself to the scouts or not, your wished greatly affect the plot of this story. Oh yeah, and in the next chapter there is going to be more Amy/Nephrite, this chapter focused more on revealing what Luna, Artemis and Malachite are like, but the next chapter will be more Amy/Nephrite. Well, that's it for now, Ja ne! 


	5. everything has changed

Amy wanted to cry, she wanted to scream at the orb for her friends to get up, to get away, they were spotted, they were going to loose before they even started fighting. What were they thinking? They didn't have much of a chance against the negaverse back on Earth, coming here, they didn't stand even a ghost of a chance, didn't they know that they would be spotted the moment they landed?!!! She knew that of course the scouts didn't know, but Luna and Artemis did. She knew that the cats knew much more about the negaverse, there was no question that the guardians were aware that the negaverse officials have the ability to see what is going on at any place any time, this was a suicide mission!  
  
"I don't get it, surely they are not so blindly loyal to you to willingly give up their lives just so they can attempt saving you, were you the only source of intelligence in the whole group, your guardians knew what the warp will do to them." Jaedite smirked, it looked like nothing changed over the time, they were just as uncaring of individual lives, only the greater purpose ever mattered to them.  
  
"What exactly happened to them?!" Amy spun around staring at Jaedite almost angrily, as if saying 'just dare not to tell me'.  
  
"Their energy has been drained, they used a portal to get here, when you pass through a portal like that there is no way to protect your energy from being sucked into it." It was Nephrite that answered.  
  
Amy's eyes widened, why would they do that if it was common knowledge that they would be vulnerable if not dead when they landed? Her confused and desperate eyes darted between Jaedite and Nephrite begging for answers.  
  
Jaedite just shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Sorry sweetheart, as much as I like you I have a duty to perform and right now I have intruders to take care of." Jaedite disappeared in a swirl of black smoke.  
  
"Nehrite please?!!! What do I do?!" Amy's voice was so desperate right now. Her eyes gazed at him pleadingly hoping that he would have some answer for her, tell her something that would make some kind of sense to her right now. Unfortunately Nephrite just shook his head, there was nothing he could do, by now, Beryl must know of the intruders, if he didn't go she would question him why and then Amy's presence here would not go unnoticed for much longer.  
  
"I'm sorry." he disappeared following Jaedite.  
  
Amy knew that she could be watching what was happening in the orb, but she didn't feel like it, she didn't want to watch as her friends were taken captives.  
  
Amy turned away from the orb clenching her fists so tight that her knuckles went white. This couldn't be happening, it was just not possible. Her friends were in danger, most likely they were going to die and there she was, just standing there, not doing anything, she was such a traitor. But what was there that she could do really, not much. She knew that Nephrite and Jaedite would be able to sense her if she tried to help the scouts and there was two of them, one of her, she couldn't go up against them. She wouldn't even if she could, her own word prevented her from doing so.  
  
Tears of helplessness made their way down Amy's pale cheeks, she hung her head in defeat. Her tight fists unclenched and her hands hung limply at her sides, the momentary anger has drained from her.  
  
"Luna, Artemis, what were you thinking." whispered Amy sadly.  
  
Even if she never gave that word to Nephrite, it didn't matter, there was no way she could've helped her friends out of this one. For once, she wasn't betraying them right now, there was just nothing she could do.  
  
Then who's fault was this, who's fault was it that the scouts were going to loose their lives. She thought she knew who's.  
  
"Luna.Artemis." she gritted her teeth and her hands balled in anger again, this was their fault, the guardians knew "you filthy liars, you haven't changed at all, Nephrite was right about you.you knew.you knew and you sent them off to die." Amy didn't think that she was ever so angry before, these were the creatures that trained them, that she trusted, that she thought were there to protect and lead them, instead, they were there to observe that the mission was carried out, nothing else.  
  
'But why would they send them off to die, this doesn't make any sense, their mission depends on our success, why kill us if you need us?' that was the rational part of Amy speaking now, the common sense. She did not know the answer for that question and that was puzzling her.  
  
Somewhere back on earth the two said guardians were sitting on the roof of the cherry hill temple. Luna had her face buried in her paws, if cats could cry, then she was. Artemis was looking up at the sky with sad eyes.  
  
"It had to be done, there was no other way to get it back, tell me that it had to be done." She whined at her companion.  
  
"You know it did, there was no other way, the scouts would never be able to get the transformation stick out of there, this is the only way to get the power out of there, all of it."  
  
"But they will die."  
  
"They have to, when the last scout is dead, the respective powers will return to the guardians, us and the new stars will be born, it was the only way of retrieving Mercury power at the expense of their lives."  
  
"Artemis, do you ever wonder, is this war worth it? Is this mission worth it?" Luna looked up her eyes sad like they haven't been since the Silver millennium when they lost the young warriors from the four kingdoms given to Queen Serenity.  
  
"Yes Luna, I do wonder, but we are the guardians, not of the scouts, but of the power, we can not let our hearts get in our way."  
  
Luna sighed, she knew that, probably even better then Artemis, they had little choice and as much as it pained her, if it happened again with whoever the new stars will be, she will let them die too for the sake of her mission, this was her curse.  
  
Jaedite appeared in front of the fallen group, why were they here, this was like a collective suicide, it was just so stupid that he wasn't even sure what to do. They were all just lying there, he didn't even know if he was supposed to destroy them, they weren't in a fight, they were just a bunch of girls in their human shapes lying unconscious and one inch from being dead at his feet, somehow it seemed wrong to just destroy them, even for someone like Jaedite.  
  
"Do you have any idea what do we do with them?" he questioned Nephrite, when in doubt, leave the thinking to someone in charge, that way there was always someone to blame in the end.  
  
"We take them in, destroying them would be a waste, I'm sure that even Queen Beryl would agree to that, if we can take them in as captives then the better for us. Then it is up to her to deal with them." He walked up to fallen Jupiter first, she seemed the most awake of them all, even though she was unconscious now there was more chance of her waking up then anyone else.  
  
First thing first, Nephrite removed Jupiter's transformation stick, then hurled her up over his shoulder. Jaedite followed his example doing the same thing to mars and Venus. Lastly, Nephrite picked up Sailor moon and they were gone.  
  
Lita woke up first. The first thing she felt was numbness, her whole body felt like it was frozen and immobile. Her head hurt like hell. She tried to pry her eyes open, but that seemed to require all the energy that she didn't have. Only with the greatest amount of will was she able to pry them open enough to just peer out through the tiny slits into the darkness beyond.  
  
Looking hurt, it hurt to think and her eyes wanted to be closed. She wanted to drift back to oblivion and not feel the pain. Slowly, her eyes slid shut as she was not able to keep them open any longer. She fell back into oblivion.  
  
Malachite was there watching over the scouts. After Jaedite and Nephrite reported to Queen Beryl he was summoned, he wasn't told what for then, just that he had to watch the girls. They lay there mostly naked on what almost looked like operation tables only dark, and made out of living matter, the same matter that was the building material for everything here.  
  
Their arms were outstretched to their sides and firmly attached to the 'tables' they were lying on. Their feet too were tied and secured. Malachite, after observing Jupiter who after resting over an hour was not even able to open her eyes, really thought that the restraints were highly unnecessary. They were all wearing loose black robes. Malachite was guessing that Beryl had some plans for them that she probably didn't wish the younger generals to know as he gathered considering he was the only one there.  
  
He walked around looking at their pale faces, they were all so helpless, he didn't see why Beryl thought of them as such a threat, sure, they have ruined a couple of their plans, but that was nothing, they were merely a small obstacle in the path of the negaverce. At least it was true as long as Sailor Moon did not obtain the Millennium Silver crystal and did not transform into Princess Serenity, then there would be reason to worry, but right now, they were just children fighting a war that was not truly theirs.  
  
Malachite almost laughed at the thought, just like he himself once was, he wondered what these 'children' would do now.  
  
Amy paced the room back and forth until she thought she was going to be nauseated from going in circles. This was nerve-wracking, she couldn't stay away from the orb, she watched Nephrite and Jaedite take her friends to Queen Beryl, but from then on she was not able to watch, the orb would not listen to her, apparently Beryl took precautions against being spied on.  
  
She sighed as she leaned against a cold wall, she was dizzy, tired and a nervous wreck. This was not doing her any good. She knew one thing, her friends were not going to be killed, or at least not yet. She had no idea what was going to be done to them but she highly doubted that it would be anything good, she dreaded finding out what Beryl decided to keep them for, for all Amy knew, there were things wore then even death itself.  
  
She was hoping that Nephrite would have some news for her, but he didn't know anything, or he was not aloud to tell her, she was not sure. She sighed sliding down to the floor, she didn't like this. She didn't know what happened to her friends, she didn't know the guardian's intensions, she didn't know where Jaedite and Nephrite were right now either, they left right after they came back, apparently something came up with the next raid and it needed their attention.  
  
Amy's relief as that at least it was Malachite who was watching the girls, she knew that at least he would not hurt them needlessly. For a while at least, the scouts were safe, or so she hoped. Now that didn't mean that she was safe, Nephrite and Jaedite were out, Malachite was busy, that meant that nothing and no one was keeping Zoicite occupied, that was not good for her. She had no idea where he was and she didn't think that she could protect herself much if he decided to pay her a visit like the last time. To say the truth Amy was a little nervous, there was no saying how far Zoicite will go.  
  
"Now what do I do, I have to find out what happened to them and if there is anything that I can do, but I can't even leave the damn room for the fear of that maniac showing up."  
  
"I presume you are talking about me." An amused voice rang in the room.  
  
Amy jumped to her feet as if burned, it was too good to be true for him to actually leave her alone for that long, he was just waiting till they were completely alone, great.  
  
"Zoicite, I have other things to worry about then you." She growled a threat hoping that she could intimidate her. The little time she spent in this place caused her to learn to show some teeth once in a while, there were a lot of creatures here that she dealt with that didn't understand polite, she guessed that Zoicite was one of them.  
  
"Well, well, look how we changed and it's only been a week." He grinned knowing well that Amy would hate the idea of being influenced by the negaverce.  
  
Amy wanted to bark a comeback, but she decided against it, he was only trying to get to her, she shouldn't react to him like that.  
  
"Don't you have anything better to do?"  
  
"Not really Amy, everyone is out, you must be so lonely, I thought I'll keep you company." He grinned but it was more like a wolf bearing his teeth rather then any form of human smile, Amy had to suppress the urge to shiver, he was looking at her like pray.  
  
"Leave." She was getting angry and inpatient, and also scared, if he didn't leave soon she might be in big trouble, it didn't look like there was anyone there to get her ass out of this mess.  
  
Before Amy could even blink she was slammed painfully against the opposite wall by Zoicite's energy. She would have been pinned to it by his ice too if she didn't react and move in time.  
  
She vaguely realized that his attack was way stronger then it has been the last time he has paid her a visit, but it was still no where near how strong it could have been, he was toying with her. Apparently he didn't want to kill her, he just wanted to toy with her, torture her, draw out his revenge.  
  
'How sweet' thought Amy bitterly. She was in full alert, watching his every move, ready for his attack. He was grinning that psychotic shine was back in his eyes. 'blessed Mercury, he really is insane. Malachite must have the patience of a god to put up with someone like Zoicite'  
  
"Now, why would I listen to what you say, I think I'm the stronger one here, you are not to tell me what to do." He sounded cocky.  
  
'Maybe I can talk him out of this' thought Amy with not much home to that. She doubted that Zoicite could be reasoned with.  
  
"Zoicite, is it revenge that you want?" she dared to ask.  
  
"Maybe" he was slowly moving towards her.  
  
"Don't get any closer Zoicite, you may be stronger, but if you attack me I will fight back, you won't take me down that easily."  
  
"I don't doubt it." If possible, Zoicite's horrible grin widened. The next thing Amy remembered was him moving faster then she could react, he jumped straight at her knocking her back, then he disappeared. He appeared behind her and hit her from above throwing her to the ground. Then he disappeared again and appeared in front of her standing above her with a triumphant smirk on his face.  
  
'So much for fighting back' thought Amy, apparently it wasn't just power that she lacked, it was skill too. Zoicite was way better trained then she was, and not surprising, she was trained by two house cats.  
  
Amy found herself angry again, she let two cats train her for a war and thought that she could fight, that was such a brilliant idea. She didn't think that none of the scouts could fight properly, well, maybe Lita could a little, but she had someone else to thank for knowing how to fight, not Luna and Artemis.  
  
"What a great fighter you are, Amy." he spat out her name in disgust. "I have more of a challenge shooting down negaverse bugs then beating you."  
  
Amy guessed that was supposed to be an insult, but right now it wasn't registering in her head very well as it was still ringing from Zoicite's blow.  
  
'I have to get up' thought the girl desperately as she shook her head a little in an attempt to clear it. Raising herself up on her elbows she found that getting up was harder then she thought, apparently she didn't realize just how hard she was hit the first time. 'Shit, this is not good, not good at all, I'm completely defenseless' not that her defense helped her much when Zoicite attacked but lying at his feet was worse then loosing to him when she was at least facing him.  
  
"Look at yourself, you are pathetic." He sounded happier saying it then he should've, he wasn't disgusted at her being pathetic, he was glad to see her like that. "Well wise man, you were not trained by a pair of tuna eating house pets." She groaned as she pulled herself up into a semi standing position.  
  
That comment apparently got Zoicite's attention. He looked like he was in wonder for a few moments, he has never heard the guardians being referred to as 'tuna eating house pets' somehow, the statement was amusing. It didn't even matter that the statement came from the person he couldn't stand, the creature that he despised and wanted to hurt more then anyone else, the statement was ridiculously funny.  
  
Before Zoicite had a chance to think more of it he was laughing at the thought of the scouts being trained by two cats in the image that Amy presented him. He imagined Luna and Artemis sitting somewhere on the couch with bowls fool of tuna giving orders to the scouts on how to fight the negaverce in between swallowing the fish.  
  
Amy looked up in shock, he was laughing. She hadn't intended him to laugh, she thought that he would hit her on the head for being sarcastic or something, the last thing she expected him to do was fall for her humor. It didn't matter though, this was her chance. Zoicite was distracted, he was laughing and not paying attention to her.  
  
Apparently the former mercurian has underestimated Amy thinking that she would not attack him when he wasn't ready for her, big mistake. Before Zoicite could have a chance to come to his senses Amy sprang to her feet and delivered a quick punch to his face followed by an equally quick kick to his midsection.  
  
Zoicite doubled over in pain. To say the least, he was shocked, he wasn't expecting an attack, he thought that he has won. It appeared that the 'tuna eating house pets' have taught the girl at least something, either that or there was more to Amy then most people knew.  
  
Amy had to act fast, she had to get Zoicite out of here, this was hers and Nephrite's dwelling, he was not welcome here. It never registered in her head before, but this was her home now and her home needed to be protected against intruders. Amy could not let Zoicite recover enough to fight her or she would surely loose, she had to act while he was still immobile. Summoning her new power for the first time in order to fight she called for ice and it answered her call. A rain of icicles showered the man before the girl.  
  
Zoicite's eyes widened, if he didn't move now he would have many extra holes in his body that he didn't need and certainly didn't want. He disappeared in icy mist just before Amy's attack had a chance to hit him.  
  
'That was too close' thought Zoicite as he appeared behind Amy. To his surprise she reacted faster then he expected and blocked his punch just before he hit her. She barely did though, Amy was not as fast as he was. She was able to dodge his punch, but not his next attack.  
  
Apparently Zoicite miscalculated the strength of the attack he sent at her because the force of it knocked Amy out. The girl lay motionless on the cold floor. A thin blanket of ice covered her whole body.  
  
"Oh shit, Nephrite is not going to like this shit, fucking scout lover." Growled Zoicite, he came here to torture her a little, he knew that he wasn't supposed to kill her because if he did, there would be hell from the older general. Malachite told him how serious Nephrite was about the girl, if Zoicite seriously harmed her there was no telling how angry Nephrite could be.  
  
Zoicite was just like Malachite said, a grown up child with too much power, he liked to play and bully while he could, but he went too far and now he was scared of the punishment.  
  
"Shit, I shouldn't worry about the damn woman, for the sake of all evil, she is a mercurian princess, she is not welcome here, an enemy. I have every right to kill her if I want." But despite his words Zoicite came near the unconscious girl. Pressing two fingers against her neck he searched for a faint pulse. He found it, Amy was weak, but she was alive. 'I hate you so much, even in loosing you cause me problems' he growled in his mind as he used his energy to chip of the bits of ice that where covering most of her body. Picking her up with disgust he threw her carelessly onto the bed and threw Nephrite's blanket over her, she should warm up with time.  
  
Giving Amy one last disgusted glare Zoicite was gone from the room.  
  
Malachite paced the room patiently looking over the sleeping bodies of his enemies. Their vulnerability made them beautiful, their weakness made them precious, their broken hearts, deceived and defeated made him want to keep them. If they were his he would, but they belonged to someone else.  
  
He stopped near Serena. Her face was pale and calm, her previously pink lips took on a bluish tint, and there were dark shadows under her closed eyes. Her long golden hair lost its shine and spilled like a river around her fallen head. She looked almost dead and he would have thought she was if not for the barely visible rise of her chest.  
  
He wanted to smile when he tilted her head a little with his gloved hand, instead he frowned. He could not feel the coldness of her fair skin through the material of his glove. Yanking it of he tried again, then a small smile made itself visible on his face. Yes, this was what he wanted for a long time, to run his fingers across her face, feel the smooth cold skin, touch it for himself and know that she was no longer a threat.  
  
She was like a rose that in the wilderness bears sharp thorns but when it is cut down, it's thorns are taken of and it is placed in a vase to please the eye of it's killer until it's beauty wanes and it dies in its captivity.  
  
"Enjoying yourself?" he heard a cold voice ring through the room, he felt her powerful presence and he bowed before his queen.  
  
"Just a little your majesty." A small smile still lingered on his face, he could allow it to show in front of Queen Beryl, she didn't know why it was there and it was always amusing to puzzle her and watch her try to decipher his various expressions.  
  
"You must be wondering why I called you here."  
  
"Indeed Queen Beryl, I was just going to ask you." Malachite voice sounded the same as it would if he was saying 'state the obvious yet again, your oh so great majesty' a mocking politness.  
  
Beryl wanted to crush him with her power then and there, his tone with her was annoying her but he managed to say nothing wrong and she would loose what little popularity and a powerful ally if she had destroyed him for seemingly nothing. Because of course only Malachite himself would know what he was getting annihilated for, she did not doubt that he made that sound as bold and in her face on purpose, just to spite her.  
  
Malachite wanted to grin, he hadn't said anything contradictory to her authority, it was just how he said it that as he could see made his Queen fume and wish to kill him just because he was getting to her. It was just one of the few little joys of life that is position in the negaverce allowed him to enjoy.  
  
"What do you say if we put these very able bodies to our good use, turn them against their people, the ones that they are supposedly meant to protect?"  
  
"Queen Beryl, might I point out that while it is possible to brainwash most of them, it is not possible to brainwash Serena, being the moon princess makes her mind immune to any kind of brainwashing."  
  
"That was not what I meant Malachite, I am very much aware of miss moon's unique abilities, there are other ways of changing her mind, after all, she is only human and if you did not notice a perfect opportunity for changing their minds has presented itself to us, or rather, should I say, was presented to us by those annoying guardians." Beryl grinned showing of her pointed row of white teeth, she looked like a shark grinning rather then a woman.  
  
Malachite nodded catching where she was coming from. The scouts were hurt, abandoned and sent on a suicide mission nearly against their will. It was not hard to convince the generals to join forces with the negaverce after they have been betrayed, what made the scouts any different?  
  
"I understand your majesty, did you want me to do it?"  
  
"Yes, I did, pick one of them, whichever one you think would be most likely to rebel against the rest of them at this point."  
  
"Only one?"  
  
"Their strength is in numbers, they only won for this long because they were together, you will not break any one of them if there is more then one."  
  
Beryl made sense, he knew that already. What a miracle, the woman was actually using her brain for a change, maybe there was a light in the end of the tunnel, well, in that case he better hurry up and make his way through before the cheep light bulb went out. One might laugh at such a comparison, but it wasn't too far from the truth, Beryl rarely used her sense and when she did one had to take advantage of it fast because it didn't last long.  
  
"What will happened to the other ones?" he asked looking at the girls lying motionlessly before them.  
  
"I will send them to different parts of the negaverce to fend for themselves without their power or a way to get back to earth, they won't remember ever arriving here because they never awoke and therefore will think that they were separated by the portal, they will blame all of it on the guardians and will turn against them on their own, all I will have to do is take them in after when the environment itself breaks them."  
  
She was really on the roll today, thought Malachite as he found that her plan just might work, there was just one problem that must've never occurred to Beryl, they were human and as such very weak, meaning, they would not survive out in the wilderness longer then a few days without their power.  
  
Malachite was going to tell her but by the proud sparkle in her eyes decided that shattering her illusion of success would be not a good thing for him. He didn't particularly care about what happened to the girls, neither did he care if Beryl's plan will succeed, he just wanted to get this over with, as long as the brats were not bothering him, he did not care what Beryl decided to do with them.  
  
"Great idea Queen Beryl, they will crawl back to you in no time when he harsh outdoors breaks them." He smiled pleasantly at her even though he knew that unless there was a miracle the scouts will be all dead and her plan will fail in less then a week.  
  
"Well, pick whoever you want now and the rest I will deal with." She disappeared grinning like a clown, completely unaware of her miscalculation.  
  
Malachite looked around, he could break every one of them if he wanted to, problem was, he didn't. It would be much easier to just destroy them, it was Beryl's weakness that she liked to play with her enemies, she was taking her chances. Malachite did not like to take chances, but he had no say in this.  
  
Sighing he decided to pick Lita, not because he thought that she would be easiest to break, but just because she has woken up and would not be fooled if she found herself elsewhere. Sending her out there might've been a wiser decision, she would have more chances surviving as she was stronger, but it defeated the purpose if she knew that she was sent there by Beryl rather then ended up there as a result of something going wrong with the portal.  
  
Shaking his head he walked up to her and released her from her binds. Wrapping her in the blanket that she was covered in he teleported to his room. Zoicite was out somewhere and Malachite thought that he knew where, but he was pretty sure that Amy could take care of herself, if not, then he was hoping that Zoicite would have enough sense not to hurt her for the fear of Nephrite.  
  
Lita was places on the bed in Malachite's private room, he didn't think that it would be a good idea if Zoicite walked in on her. The next thing that happened was Malachite got her dressed in the same way and fashion that Amy got her new outfit. It did not suit Lita at all, unlike Amy who almost made the boring grey of the uniform look nice, but of course Malachite didn't care about that.  
  
He would have to wait for her to wake up and then it would be the start of long boring talks, lots of needless yelling, deception, lies, convincing and generally everything that he didn't want to do. Or he could just tell her the truth and tell her to deal with it, it was up to him, knowing Beryl she would forget about the existence of the scouts as soon as they stop showing up on her orb as disturbances to her plan, she wouldn't even remember that Lita is here. After all, she forgot about the existence of Sailor Mercury as soon as Sailor mercury was out of the picture.  
  
Malachite sat down rubbing his temples, he did not want to bother himself with any of this, in his opinion it was so useless.  
  
Amy woke up shivering and with the biggest headache. She was on the bed and there was a blanket over her. 'Ow, how sweet of you, you bastard' she thought about Zoicite as she drew the blanket closer around herself. She was really cold and the ice around her has melted making her all wet.  
  
This was no good, she had to get up, crawling out of her bed she sneezed, she had no idea how to dry herself and Nephrite was still somewhere out with Jaedite, it didn't seem like they were coming back any time soon. She shivered again as she thought about Nephrite and how warm it was near him, how comfortable she felt in his arms, how secure. All of a sudden she was all alone, she didn't know how long it has been and suddenly she remembered the others.  
  
She extended her senses trying to see if Malachite was back yet. Her luck, Malachite was and Zoicite was nowhere in sight. Amy really didn't know if she could just show up at his doorstep, he might've offered her comfort once, but would he be willing to do so again, and would it be right to got to him when Nephrite was out? She didn't want to think about that, she was cold, wet and she wanted answers, the only person who could help her was Malachite, she had no choice but to go to him. Amy just hoped that wherever Zoicite was at, he was going to stay there just a little longer.  
  
The former Mercury teleported herself to just outside Malachite's dwelling. She did not dare to show up inside in case she was not welcome, he would know as it is that she was there.  
  
Malachite has almost fallen asleep when he felt a presence just outside. At first he gave it no attention because he thought that it was just Zoicite back from wherever he was. He decided to wait for the younger to come in before he can reprimand him for being absent devil knows where. But as he waited the energy signature stayed outside. That puzzled Malachite, Zoicite never stalled no matter what trouble he was in, what was he waiting for? Curiosity got the better of Malachite and he teleported outside to see.  
  
To say the least he was surprised, there was Amy, soaking wet, shivering and looking miserable. She looked up at him with her pure blue eyes clouded by worry and some amount of pain.  
  
Malachite wanted to almost laugh despite her horrible disposition and her look of complete misery. He thought that she was Zoicite, their energies were so alike he has mistaken her for him and he even thought that Zoicite might be hurt because her energy is lower then his, it seemed almost comical to him how easily he was misguided, and there he thought that he knew Zoicite well.  
  
Amy looked at him with wonder, there was a look of amusement on his face, was he laughing at her? Apparently he guessed her thoughts as he shook his head.  
  
"I thought you were Zoicite, no wonder I was surprised that you stayed outside. Come in, tell me what happened when you get dry, and I'll tell you what happened too." He lead the way walking back inside.  
  
Amy was surprised and delighted, no questions, no weird looks, no pity, he was just going to help her and ask questions later, how nice. She followed him not saying a word. Inside, she stood patiently as he gave her a new set of clothing in the same manner Nephrite did earlier. She was worm again and she was mostly dry. He gave her a towel for her hair and before she knew it they were sitting in chairs her sipping a warmed up energy shake, she needed her energy.  
  
"Let me guess, my little unrelated brother paid you a visit?" he started looking at her.  
  
Amy nodded and smiled, she was not mad at Zoicite for some reason, she just recognized that she had to stay clear of him, but she wasn't mad at him. There was also something endearing about Malachite calling Zoicite his little brother, she guessed they were in a way.  
  
"Are you hurt?" he continued satisfied with her answer, he didn't need the details of the visit.  
  
Amy shook her head satisfied that she didn't need to talk.  
  
"Malachite-sama, do you know anything of the others?" she was expecting him to know what she was talking about and he certainly did.  
  
"One is still unconscious in the other room, the rest are scattered across the negaverse with no powers, it's up to them to survive"  
  
The news brought both hope and sorrow to Amy. Honestly, she expected all to be dead, now there was at least hope to save one of them and maybe, by some miracle the others would survive, if Malachite knew where they were she could help them.  
  
Malachite noticed the flutter of hope in Amy's eyes and shook his head.  
  
"I have no idea where they are, searching them out in the vastness of the entire negaverse would be like looking for a particular sea shell in all the oceans of the Earth, it is practically impossible.  
  
Amy hung her head, she knew how impossible it was if he didn't know the exact location.  
  
"Thank you Malachite-sama." She stood up and bowed ready to leave him, he has already helped her way more then he had to, and she was not sure when Zoicite was coming back.  
  
"Amy, you can see your friend, I don't care about Beryl's plan, she will forget it by the end of this week, do what you will she is your friend." This was perfect for Malachite, he was not really doing anything for the scout himself and he was getting rid of her at the same time, he did not want to deal with the girl, she was no longer a threat and they had no need for her. This whole plan Beryl devised was useless.  
  
Amy's eyes shone with happiness and gratitude, he was letting her help whoever was in the next room, he wasn't going to stop her. She had an idea that babysitting some girl was not what Malachite would rather be doing. He had enough trouble babysitting Zoicite and it would only create problems when Zoicite freaked that there was a sailor scout in the next room, it was too much unnecessary fuss for Malachite to want to deal with. So he was letting her deal with it instead.  
  
"Thank you, thank you so much." She bowed again, she wanted to throw her arms around him and hug him, he was being generous in getting one scout out of shit that Luna and Artemis deliberately threw them in, but Amy really didn't think that he would appreciate her outburst of emotion.  
  
In a blink of an eye she was gone from the room, she was back in her and Nephrite's room. She wanted to get something first. Nephrite no longer hid her transformation tool as she could no longer use it so she was free to take it. When she had retrieved it she was back in Malachite's room leaning over Lita and stroking her hair gently.  
  
"Lita, my friend, I thought I'd never see you again, I'm so sorry." Amy whispered as she put her transformation stick into Lita's hand and closed her fingers around it. She also brought all other transformation sticks that Jaedite and Nephrite left in the room after they first came back and placed it in her pocket.  
  
"Why give them to her?" she heard Malachite's voice from behind.  
  
"So she would think that she is the only one left alive and not ever come back."  
  
"She won't remember how she got them or how she got back."  
  
"Doesn't matter, she'll just think that she had a black out, hit her head and can't remember what happened, got temporary amnesia, suppressed the memory of such a horrific event, anything, she won't wonder much about it, it's natural for humans."  
  
Malachite nodded and then he was gone leaving her to do whatever she wanted.  
  
Taking one last look at Lita Amy smiled.  
  
"Goodbye my good friend, be safe." She gave her a small hug and for a moment she was gone, then she was back only Lita was not there any more. Amy stood up, it was over, she would not see any of them again, but at least one of them would be safe from now on, she knew that Lita would not fight this war all alone.  
  
When Amy was back in her room Nephrite was there too, he looked at her with wonder in his eyes.  
  
"You could have gone with her."  
  
Amy shook her head.  
  
"I wanted to stay with you, I am free now, I don't have to worry about the other side now, there is no other side, they are not coming back."  
  
Nephrite knew he should be happy, but somehow he wasn't, there was just something there that made him sad, maybe it was the pain in Amy's eyes, or even the fact that he knew now, there was nothing to stop him from this victory, but there was just something sad about this moment.  
  
Amy threw herself into his arms and cried, she cried for her loss, she cried for the earth because it was doomed, she cried just because she wanted to cry. They stayed like that for a long time until Nephrite pulled away from her and looked down at her thoughtfully. He has known for some time but he wasn't sure if he should tell her, but now he was, she has chosen him when she could've left, she's been down to earth, she could've stayed. Instead, she came back, she has chosen her destiny herself, for the first time. He knew now that he could tell her.  
  
"Amy."  
  
She looked up at him a little puzzled, a little worried, more curious though.  
  
" I love you." There, he said it, it was the time, everything was decided, she had decided, she was staying with him and he could finally freely tell her without imposing it on her, he could just tell her.  
  
Amy smiled, she did not say she loved him, she was not sure yet, she didn't say she didn't, because she didn't know yet, but she was willing enough to accept his love, maybe with time she could be sure, then she will say to him 'I love you too'. For once, Amy did not feel the obligation to reply to him something that she wasn't sure she meant just because she was expected to say it, it was wonderful.  
  
He understood. Nephrite drew her back into his embrace and kissed her, it was not like the comforting kisses he gave her before, this was passionate and powerful and free. This might or might not be their first night together, he wasn't sure. They would just go with the emotion wherever it led them.  
  
Back on Earth Lita woke up on the cold ground. She has gotten some of her strength back and was able to look around. She didn't remember how she got here. By the surroundings she could tell that she was back on Earth, but how was that possible? She couldn't remember anything. Glancing down when she had pulled herself up she saw all the transformation sticks in her hand and also that she was naked. More so to cover herself then anything else she had transformed into Sailor Jupiter.  
  
'This can't be, I can't remember this happening, they can't be gone!' she thought as she stared blankly at the transformation wands. And then it dawned on her, they must've fought, the others must be dead, she made it out alive and back to Earth somehow and she must've hit her head because she didn't remember anything, either that, or she was in such a shock that her mind has repressed it.  
  
Lita fell to her knees and cried hysterically shrieking like a banshee in the middle of the night tearing with her hands at the earth below. She was back, she was alive, everyone was gone! She was all alone! Stupid Luna, stupid Artemis, stupid war! She didn't want to fight any more, war only took away lives! War has destroyed her own life, how was she supposed to go on, how was she supposed to face Darian and tell him that Serena was gone, this was so unfair, she wished she had died with them. She cried and sobbed and cried some more.  
  
At that moment Lita hated the world, hated the guardians, hated the negaverce and hated this whole war. She swore to herself that she will no longer fight, no matter what.  
  
Luna and Artemis were still waiting for their plan to work, but a lot of time had passed and now there was a miracle, Jupiter was back, she has transformed on earth, but how was that possible?  
  
"This can't be, this is not right, she should be dead!" Artemis was upset, if she was back alone that meant that the rest of them were gone and they had to deal with Jupiter on her own, by all expectations, a very angry Jupiter.  
  
"We have to find her!" Luna jumped of the roof following the signal she was getting from Lita.  
  
They found Lita limping back home, at the pace she was going it was not hard to catch up with her.  
  
"Lita! Wait!"  
  
"Lita, what happened?! Where are the others?!"  
  
Luna and Artemis shouted together, they expected her to be angry, but they did not expect the reaction they got. They thought she would want answers and explanations, they were prepared to lie, but she just stared at them hate etched on her face.  
  
"Stay away from me! Get away and take your war with you! They are dead, all of them are dead and you sent us all to die! You knew we had no chance, you sent us to die for your mission! Stay away from me you demons, I don't care about your war, I don't care about your mission! Fuck you! Screw you both and your fucking objectives! I've had enough!"  
  
Luna suddenly turned serious and dropped the worried act, apparently Jupiter was not kidding.  
  
"Very well, if that is how you want it, then be it. I want the transformation wands back." She spoke calmly, perfectly composed even though on the inside her heart was crying for their lives, on the inside she was a broken soul, the river beneath the ice of the now cold and deceiving exterior.  
  
"What for?! So you can give it to someone else and make them give their lives for your purpose?! I don't think so, you filthy liar!" Lita yelled. The next thing Luna and Artemis saw coming at them was a fatal for them if it hit thunderbolt. They jumped out just in time landing on all fours with a warning hiss.  
  
Lita didn't wait for them, she ran as fast as her tired and battered body allowed her to run, stumbling, falling, crawling, getting up and running again. She would not let anyone else suffer like she did, she would not let anyone else fight and die for their mission.  
  
"Artemis, what do we do, we failed, she won't ever listen to us again."  
  
"We will have to finish what the negaverce hadn't finished for us, I hoped it would never come to this, but now we have to." With that the moon on his forehead glowed and soon there stood a tall man with white hair and a gold crescent on his forehead.  
  
Luan followed his example and in minutes beside the man stood a woman in a yellow and black dress with long black wavy hair and bright eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry Lita, I didn't want it to end like this, but I can not let you decide the Earth's destiny, the few have to be sacrifices for the many." She whispered and a tear rolled down her fair face. Then the two figures were gone into the darkness of the night.  
  
Unknown to them another figure clad in a black tuxedo was too storming into the night, his heart full of his own grief.  
  
'I was wrong, they have changed, they are worse now.' Thought Darien, but as soon as that though came to his head, it was gone without a trace, just like all the other snippets of his lost memory. He will protect her, just like she will protect the power. Lita unknowingly has appointed herself a new guardian, fighting for neither side and against both, he would help her, from the shadows like he always have.  
  
Somewhere in different parts of the negaverce Mina, Serena and Raye were waking up to find themselves in unknown places, cold, hungry, hurt powerless and all alone.  
  
"No, no, no! We haven't done anything wrong, we should have passed thorough the portal properly! Why?!" cried out Mina as she buried her long fingers into the hot sand. She was stranded in the desert, hot, with no water, just rocks and sand and scorching sand. Some distant part of the negaverce and she was supposed to survive, on her own. Even her power, she gathered she has lost it in the portal. Tears ran down her face, this was the end, or if somehow she could survive, a beginning of a new life.  
  
A similar thing was happening to Raye, only she was freezing in a different kind of desert, a desert of ice. Wind howled around her, snow blew in her face and her tears froze on their way down her cheeks.  
  
Same thing was happening to Serena who was crying like a little child stranded among rocks, rocks, mountains and more rocks. They were separated, all alone and in the worst conditions possible, what chance did they have to survive? And if they did, will they ever get back to Earth? Was it worth getting back to Earth at all, after all, they might not find it in the same way they have left it. This was the end of their lives, or the beginning of completely different lives, whichever one it was, nothing will ever be the same.  
  
AN: sorry about the last chapter and me accidentally mixing up Malachite's and Nephrite's names when I was talking about them, I hope I didn't do any stupid mistakes like that in this chapter. Also, this is a big twist in the story, there is the beginning of multiple plot lines and a long struggle for survival as you can see, this should be interesting. Review and tell me what you think. I've started many new and unexpected things, so please tell me if you like it and if I should continue. Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far, your reviews mean a lot to me and they really motivate me. I take into considerations any helpful ideas that you might have for me, I love ideas and if I like your idea you might find it in the story. Till next time and please review, review and review again! -Cyanide- 


	6. good wishes

Lita made it home with some difficulty. She never noticed what happened to Luna and Artemis, all she knew is that they were no longer following her. It was so very fortunate that she lived alone, had she still lived with her parents they would have been worried sick about her. One glance at the calendar told her that she was away for two days, it seemed longer, so much happened in so little time!  
  
Exhausted she fell on top of her bed. She was still bleeding and dirty, but she just wasn't strong enough to take a bath just yet. She clutched the transformation sticks in her hand firmly wondering what she was going to do with them. What she wanted to do was sleep, but she couldn't trust herself to fall asleep with these unprotected, the guardians knew where she lived, it would take them little time to find her here. Besides, sleep just didn't want to come to her right now, her head was too full of thought to sleep well.  
  
Sighing she pulled herself up despite the pain and sat up against the backboard. She felt like she was no longer safe in her own house, she couldn't really stay here any more. Technically, the house was in her name, so an idea struck her, she could always sell it and move out. She looked around, so much stuff, so little time, she didn't have time or strength to get rid of all of this, she would just have to leave it as it was. Maybe that was for the better anyways, no one knew when she would need to come back here, it would be nice to have a place to stay in a tight moment.  
  
Once again Lita fingered the transformation sticks running her fingers gently over their smooth surface. Moon. Mars. Mercury. Venus. They were all gone. It stung on the inside knowing that she will never see her friends again, and who's fault was it?!!! Gritting her teeth Lita swore that she will never be a pawn in this game again, she didn't have it in her heart to hate enough to swear vengeance on the guardians like many would have done in her place, her heart was too pure for that.  
  
The first thing that Lita did next morning was pull out her saving and purchase a metal briefcase with coded locks, the really expensive type, the type in which people transported valuables, the bullet proof type, with locks that were far beyond Luna's and Artemis' skill to pick. An old friend of hers had a 'spy' shop as he liked to call it, he sold little gadgets that government officials used to the public, of course, he didn't cell anything special, but little things like a small sly cam, or a fancy briefcase were accessible. He gave Lita a weird look when she decided to invest in something so useless in his opinion, after all, what use did she have for an armoured briefcase?  
  
As soon as the girl got home she placed the transformation sticks in the briefcase. It was not a big one, just a little bigger then a lunchbox, easy for carrying and easy for hiding. Locking it tight she examined the keys, they looked really complicated, not your usual simplified keys on most briefcases. Plus, there were four locks and four different keys to open them, as well as a code that only she knew. Lita got out a ball-chain and put the keys on it fastening them around her neck. 'Safe' she thought as she fingered the four small keys on her neck and repeated the numbers of the code.  
  
Now she just had to hide it, but until she found a suitable place, she would not risk loosing these precious objects. Finally she placed the small briefcase into a small backpack so she could carry it around without being suspicious, zipped it up and locked the zippers with a small traveling lock. She didn't plan to carry it around for very long, that would be dangerous, but she needed to transport it somehow.  
  
Lita sat by her window looking up at the sky. "This is too weird, I feel like I'm in a sci-fi movie or something" she closed her eyes, she felt so weak, so very drained, emotionally and physically, she didn't rest last night, and her strength just didn't want to come back to her. It was so hard, being on her own, she said that she wouldn't fight this war any more, but she was still so very stuck in it. Suddenly, it just occurred to her, now that there was no one to fight the negaverse, they were free to take over the earth... Suddenly looking out the window at the people walking outside acquired a new meaning to her, it was so very hard to believe that this life, these people, this civilization, it was coming to an end and they didn't even know it.  
  
'Nothing I can do about it now...' thought Lita and closed her eyes so she wouldn't cry again, she was alone, they were no match for the negaverse when they were together, and what chance did she have now? Besides, she didn't even want to fight the negaverse any more, there was nothing else she could have done for the earth to begin with, there was nothing she could do for it now, only now she was one of the only few who knew what was going to happened so now she could think about her own survival. She didn't care about saving anything any more, she has lost a huge chunk of her heart back in the negaverse, it was very hard to care for anyone and anything when you were so hurt and abandoned, it was hard to save when you needed saving yourself and even harder to care about saving others when no one cared about saving you.  
  
In any case, she needed to leave this place, she couldn't stay and be safe here any more. The guardians made it clear that they were willing to kill all of them in order to complete their mission, she was now standing in the way of them completing it, she didn't know how, but she almost had a feeling that there was some way they could harm her still. And she was sure, that if they had to, they would.  
  
She had a little money saved up, she was saving up to go to university, but that didn't seem likely now and she needed that money more then ever now. She decided to only take what she could fit in her backpack which was practically nothing, one change of clothing and a few small personal items that held sentimental value to her. She could only console herself that all her things were still accessible to her here if she needed them.  
  
Not allowing herself to stall, Lita has closed the door of her house that very afternoon, not even waiting for evening. In case she was being spied on, she didn't look like she was going somewhere far, with a small backpack that is. And of course, no one needed to know what a hefty sum of money she has withdrawn from the bank earlier and was now carrying in that backpack.  
  
Lita wondered aimlessly the streets of Tokyo almost memorizing the surroundings. She wondered where could she go, she didn't want to stay here, too many memories, it took all her willpower just not to cry whenever she passed an old hangout or some place rose a memory of her doing something there with the other scouts. Finally exhausted, late in the evening Lita flopped down on a bench and watched the starts start appearing in the darkening sky.  
  
"Lita..." the girl jumped to her feet at the sound of her name, the first thing coming to her mind was that the guardians have found her, but surely they didn't expect to still try and talk her into cooperating any more, that would have just been laughable.  
  
"You shouldn't walk around untransformed, for that matter, you shouldn't walk around in the open at all." She recognized the voice and she expected to see Darien, or at least Tuxedo Mask, but she was surprised to see Prince Endymion in his full dark glory.  
  
"What do you want?!!!" she snapped at him feeling extremely vulnerable in her human form, she wanted to be a scout now, much good that would do her against Darien, but it was better then nothing. Her fingers were itching for her transformation stick, but she was afraid to loose her focus on him knowing just how fast he could move when he wanted to.  
  
"Relax, I'm not here to try and harm you in any way. I just wanted to warn you not to expect a pair of house cats to come after you and what you are carrying in that backpack"  
  
Lita growled, so he knew, but then again, that wasn't much of a surprise, he had a thing for spying on people, but then again, that must mean that the guardians knew too.  
  
"And what am I to expect to be coming after me, a negaverse monster?!" she asked sarcastically.  
  
"No, quite worse, you are to expect the true guardians to be coming after you, at their full power"  
  
Lita blinked confused "What do you mean at their full power?"  
  
"I'm not completely sure on the details, but I've been remembering things about the silver millennium lately, when I saw you return alone I almost lost it, I don't know how, but I can't transform into Tuxedo Mask any more, when I tried I transformed into my original form. When I did, I started remembering, some things about the guardians you might want to know."  
  
Lita allowed her guard to drop just a little bit, but not that much. The only reason she was really trusting Darien at all was because he had a reason to help her, his beloved Serena was gone because of them. Now, come to think of it, it made sense for him to become Prince Endymion now that Serenity was gone.  
  
"Well then, tell me, what is it that you remembered about them?"  
  
"How about you transform and we get out of here first, people are starting to stare"  
  
Lita smirked eyeing his ancient looking armour. Moments later Sailor Jupiter was before him, looking a little strange clutching on to a very normal looking backpack. They chose a tall roof to sit on looking over the city.  
  
"I don't remember some details, but I believe that the very reason that they are in cat forms is because they were punished. Luna and Artemis were originally both very high ranking officers in Silver Millennium, as well as partners and lovers. Luna was much less respected then Artemis was because of her low birth, but she cared little about what people thought of her as long as she was with Artemis, I remember her as being very devoted to him. She had a pure heart and didn't care for the frequent insults that befell her, but it irked Artemis. I believe he had a certain sense of pride and he took it as personal insult that anyone would dare to say anything about his choice of partner.  
  
I don't remember the exact circumstances, but I seem to remember an incident that got both of them trapped in the cat fur. Queen Serenity was having yet another ball and there, one of the nobles insulted Luna in public. Artemis has lost it and seeing as he was quite powerful, he chose to use that power and what resulted was a death of someone quite important. Both Luna and Artemis were condemned to spend the rest of their lives in cat fur.  
  
It just happened that the war followed and then Queen Serenity was out of options, she could not turn them back as at that point she did not have enough power, and they were still loyal to her, obsessively loyal, or at least Artemis was. She entrusted the powers of the planets to them and made them guardians. I don't remember much more, but there was a condition, that in case of an emergency, if the mission is jeopardized they will be able to take their human forms again. It's been ages since Queen Serenity passed away, her magic must've disintegrated because it doesn't look like they will be taking their cat forms again, the spell is not strong enough to bind them again."  
  
"Are you saying that they are just two criminals, condemned and then redeemed because she had no one else to turn to?"  
  
"To put it bluntly yes, well, Luna has never done anything wrong, but Artemis, there is more to him then he shows, I remember him to be less nice then he appeared to be in this time. I believe it is an act, I sincerely believe that Luna is not a bad person, she must be hurting on the inside as we do, but she will do anything for Artemis, I think that never changed."  
  
"You say that they are not planning on becoming house cats again, and that they are quite powerful now, have you seen them?"  
  
"Would you like their pictures?"  
  
"You are kidding, right?" Darien passed her two photographs, taken from a bad angle, but they were visible quite clearly. A young beautiful woman with long curly black hair done in odangoes, big bright blue eyes and an almost childish face stood beside a man with narrow grey eyes and long white hair. She wore a yellow and black dress and he was clad purely in white. "Is that Luna and Artemis?!" Lita could hardly believe that these two beautiful looking people were the guardians. She looked carefully at Artemis' angular handsome face, his narrowed silver eyes, the determined and almost annoyed expression that he wore.  
  
"Is that how he really looks?" she frowned, the way they carried themselves, or the way Artemis carried himself, it was just how Darien said, he looked proud and she did not doubt that he was indeed powerful. Luna just looked sad, Lita had no doubt that on her own Luna would not be doing what she was doing, but yet, she did not have it in her mind to forgive the female guardian. She knew what she was doing, she was perfectly aware and she still did it, she didn't care that it was Artemis who influenced her, it didn't matter, Luna has chosen her path long ago, that is, if what Darien said was true.  
  
"So, they are the people I have to watch out for?"  
  
"Yes, I believe they will be coming for the power, you must be aware of them, if you do fight, I have one advice, show them no mercy...they will show you none" Darien stood up ready to leave "they never showed us any" he whispered before he disappeared leaving Lita quite puzzled, and even more concerned.  
  
In the meantime, Artemis and Luna were going through her things back in her apartment. "You do realize that this is useless, she would not leave them lying around, she would not even stay here, she's not stupid you know?!" Artemis sounded irritated, Luna insisted that they come here and check it out just in case.  
  
"Yeah, I know, I'm just putting of the inevitable" she sighed and dropped a random article that she was holding.  
  
"Look around Luna, what would you have us do, leave these people to die? We are running out of time and choices, I'm not that fond of what we are doing myself, but I have a mission and I will not fail."  
  
Luna nodded quietly, to someone, she was not going to argue, not only because of her loyalty to Artemis, but also because she knew he was right, they couldn't afford to loose the entire Earth to the negaverse because they pitied a few young girls.  
  
"Let's go, we have a scout to catch, let us just hope that Endymion did not get to her first, this will already be difficult enough without his interference." Artemis jumped out of the window followed closely by Luna, there was nothing left to find here.  
  
Back in the negaverse major preparations were taking place. Troops were being gathered to launch an attack. Finally, Zoicite and Malachite have found all the crystals and Jaedite and Nephrite have gathered enough energy. The scouts were out of the way, the stage was set, now it was the time for the actors to take their places.  
  
Amy was left alone in the room seeing as all the generals had troops to organize. She paced the quarters back and forth countless times, the observation orb flickered between different scenes in the negaverse and most of what was happening revolved around an upcoming attack.  
  
She spied on Lita a few times too, it appears that unknowingly, by giving her the transformation sticks she has put her in permanent danger. Amy was cursing herself over and over again, she didn't intend for this to happen! Somehow, she knew that she had to fix this, but she wasn't sure how. There were a few facts that both her and Lita agreed on, one of the facts was, that no matter what, the Earth was doomed and it was up to them to choose if they were going to be doomed with it or survive.  
  
So much time has passed since Amy has walked the Earth, she did not consider her momentary appearance on Earth as an actual visit. To say the truth, she wanted to go back, but she wasn't sure if she actually wanted to stay there. She changed the orb scene to see what Nephrite was doing. As she was expecting, he was organizing troops like he was supposed to do. She never realized just how many men he commanded, for some reason it made her feel almost flattered, to know how high of a standing he had here and how close she was to him. It seemed weird to think of it this way, but it appeared that through him, she had quite a high social status in the negaverse too.  
  
"Fate must be laughing at me." whispered Amy as she looked at Nephrite and smiled lightly. She was growing more and more fond of him and now, it was more then just her promise that was keeping her here. She didn't want to leave Nephrite behind and it almost irked her the attention she noticed he was getting from Molly back on earth. Molly was never her close friend, just an acquaintance, Serena's friend, Amy never would have thought that she would ever be jealous of that girl! For that matter, she never considered herself a jealous type in the first place, the negaverse must be having a negative influence on her.  
  
In a swirl of blue mist Amy was gone and appeared behind Nephrite to personally observe the preparations. Right now, all the soldiers who were coming were registering and some of them were already being assigned tasks and positions. Amy noticed the curious looks she was getting from the young men and women, they weren't human and some of them looked very non-human, but most of them did have a humanoid appearance and it bothered Amy how young some of them looked. But of course, she knew that some of these species aged differently so some of these were much older then they appeared. At least there weren't any children as far as she could see in the ranks.  
  
"Amy, what are you doing here?" the name got a few snickers in the lines, but Amy was already used to this, more then half the time, anyone she met thought that she was a boy, a boy with a name Amy would have been funny, if she actually had been a boy.  
  
"Just come to visit you, why, do you want me to leave?" she pouted cutely and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind resting her head on his shoulder. Nephrite was sitting down when she did so otherwise she would have to stand on her toes to place her head on his shoulders seeing as he was much taller then her.  
  
A few gasps and whispers were heard in the lines. Well, she made it obvious that she wasn't a boy, and from how she acted with Nephrite it was obvious that she was someone important and powerful. Immediately anyone who was snickering earlier stopped and looked like they wanted to be somewhere else.  
  
"Of course not, I missed you, sit with me." Nephrite pulled her down on the bench with him and observed with some amusement the uncomfortable shifting of the men in front lines. "What's the matter with all of you, you never seen a woman before?" he asked the few who were shifting uncomfortably.  
  
"N-no sir, I mean, yes we have, we are just not used to having one here, I mean, we didn't know that you had..." at that moment the one who was speaking turned completely red.  
  
Amy let out a small laugh but then pretended to look hurt "Well, I see that your men don't appreciate my presence here, I should probably leave then and go somewhere I am welcome."  
  
Nephrite smirked, a few weeks ago Amy would have never dared to tease someone like this, especially in front of a big gathering of young men like this, it just went to show how much one's environment can influence one's actions.  
  
"See what you've done?! Now you made her upset!" Nephrite played along.  
  
"Sir! Oh no sir, I mean, miss, you don't have to leave, you are very welcome to stay, I mean, that is if Lord Nephrite wants you to stay, I was just, I mean, I meant you were, I mean you are very beautiful, and I was just..." he turned completely red now not knowing what to say and accompanied by a chorus of laughter.  
  
In the past, this would have made Amy blush and feel ashamed and shy, but right now she felt more at ease with her emotions, less constricted my social norms and more able to just laugh at a display like this.  
  
"It's ok, I was just kidding. Don't mind me and go on with whatever you are doing, I've already delayed you enough"  
  
"No you didn't, we weren't doing much" Nephrite rolled his eyes "we are here because we have to look like we are preparing for the attack, in all truth, we were ready five months ago." More snickers followed the comment but it appeared that Nephrite allowed only so much humour for his troops and one stern look from him silenced anyone who was still laughing.  
  
Amy smiled and laid down on the long bench placing her head in Nephrite's lap. "You look rather tired for someone who is only pretending to be doing something." "I kind of am, it's not really work, but it's a lot of hassle, Queen Beryl makes it harder then it has to be. I don't see why she didn't just let all of us go in there at once, and then worry about the crystals turning up, the woman has no sense, it would have been so much easier to find the crystals if the earth was already under her rule." Nephrite shook his head playing with Amy's hair and mindlessly observing how one by one each soldier registered with a gnome-looking man at a desk.  
  
Amy closed her eyes enjoying his touch. "What's going to happened to Earth now?"  
  
"Not much, we go in, ruin the current government, introduce some foreign plant species, cast a shadow over the world, infect the people with nega- energy, place a few officials to replace the old government and then move on."  
  
"No big explosions, no genocides, no destroying the whole world?"  
  
"No, too much energy would be wasted if we did that, Earth will become yet another negaverse colony, ultimately ruled by Queen Beryl and ultimately forgotten by her and at the mercy of the few who will be placed in charge of it."  
  
"You got any idea who will be placed in charge?"  
  
"I have a few ideas actually, a few war lords who want to retire want to stay on Earth. Malachite wants to stay too actually, but even Queen Beryl has enough sense not to send Zoicite there, therefore he might not get his wish."  
  
"Why would Queen Beryl care about what Zoicite does?" "She wants to be able to have some use for Earth's population, usually, what happens is that once in a while Queen Beryl leeches energy from the planets under her rule, a big population means a lot of energy, and if Zoicite is there, the population will be on a steady decline if you know what I mean."  
  
"Yeah" Amy laughed, somehow picturing Zoicite going nuts on Earth and then Queen Beryl fuming because he destroyed all her subjects was funny. Maybe Amy has been away from Earth for too long, but she didn't think of herself as part of it any more, she didn't care as much, and down there, there was only one person she really cared about now.  
  
"In any case, if Malachite stayed there, it would be a good thing for Earth, he seems sensible and he is not a cruel type."  
  
"He can be." Nephrite countered, he too wanted Malachite to stay on Earth, but for a different reason then Amy did, he felt threatened by Malachite's presence, he saw how Amy was drawn to him. He didn't blame Amy though, she was just seeking guidance and Malachite indeed could provide her a certain comfort that he himself couldn't, what bothered him was that Malachite compared Amy with Zoicite and therefore was drawn to her, but in a different way then Amy was. Nephrite suspected that Malachite liked Amy and he didn't like that. Something about the eldest and most powerful general was intimidating, and the faith that Amy was starting to have in him, Nephrite felt that if Malachite got the idea in his head, he could steal Amy away from him.  
  
"What do you mean?" Amy opened her eyes and propped herself up to look up at him better "Malachite-sama was very nice to me and he is fair to his subjects, he is withdrawn and therefore he would not meddle in Earth's affairs much, and he is quite wise too."  
  
It irked Nephrite how Amy referred to Malachite as lord, it irked him how well she spoke of him, more and more he wanted to be rid of the other general, despite of all the respect he had for Malachite he did not want Malachite near his Amy.  
  
"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"  
  
"No, it's fine, it's just, you should be a little more careful around Malachite. Zoicite hates you and Malachite cares for Zoicite too much, if something happens, Malachite will be on his side."  
  
"Oh...I see. Well, I knew that much, but that is personal, that has nothing to do with Earth, he would still be good in charge of it. And you still haven't told me what you meant when you said that he can be cruel, I haven't seen him display any unnecessary cruelness yet."  
  
"He can be vengeful and he can be merciless when it suits him too."  
  
"Still better the Jeadite." She smirked and then pulled herself up wrapping her arms around his neck. "Nephrite, dearest, I need to ask you a serious question" she leaned in close.  
  
"Yes?" he was a little confused.  
  
"Are you jealous?" she was grinning a very un Amy like grin.  
  
"What?! Whatever gave you that idea?!" he almost paled, was he so obvious? When did it happened that she started to be able to read him so well?!  
  
"In that case, you won't mind if I pay him a visit" Amy smirked and in a swirl of icy mist was gone from Nephrite's grasp leaving him staring at the space where she was a moment ago.  
  
Nephrite clenched his fist tight, he was angry at himself now, he made it obvious and she used that to her advantage. It occurred to him that she was becoming more and more like an inhabitant of the negaverse and more so, more and more like the rest of the generals. He wasn't sure if she even realized, but she was already starting to subconsciously seek out people's weaknesses and attack them. That's what she was doing to him, unconsciously, she was starting to read him and use what she knew to manipulate him.  
  
Nephrite thought back to try and figure out when this started to happen. Now that he thought of it, Amy has been doing it to Jaedite too, the only other person she was enough in contact with. She unconsciously was using many things that she found out about Jaedite against him and to get her way, the more one knew about someone, the easier it was for one to manipulate that someone.  
  
For the rest of the day, Nephrite was in a not so great mood, he liked Amy the way she was, and while he knew that it was inevitable for her to change somewhat in this place, he did not want her to become completely like them, it would not be her if she became as manipulative, cold and self centered as the rest of them were for the more part.  
  
Nephrite was torn between two decisions, and it seemed that whichever one he made, he would be loosing Amy somehow.  
  
Amy giggled lightly at Nephrite's behaviour, she could see how he would be threatened by Malachite's presence, after all, lately, she has been paying quite a bit of attention to the older general. But it wasn't like that, it was true that Amy liked Malachite, but not the way that Nephrite thought she did, she did not like him like a man, she liked him like almost a father, or older brother since Malachite looked a little too young for her to think of him as a father.  
  
She chose to walk down the hall to the room she shared with Nephrite. She had no idea where Malachite was and she intended to use the orb to find him. She was getting better at sensing energies from a distance and seeking out where their owners were, she could find Nephrite almost anywhere as long as he wasn't too far away, but she wasn't that good yet, and she didn't feel like concentrating for a long time, in all this commotion it would be twice as hard to find him.  
  
She found him finishing with the last of his own troops, he seemed to work a little more efficiently then Nephrite, either that, or he had less men. He probably did, but then again, his men looked to be of better quality then Nephrite's. Well, whatever, she didn't care about that, there was something that Nephrite brought up that she wanted to talk to Malachite about.  
  
Teleporting to stand behind him she waited for quite a bit of time for him to finish until he acknowledged her.  
  
"Malachite-sama" she bowed to him respectfully. It was almost laughable to her how Nephrite would be jealous, after all, she had way too much respect for Malachite to ever even think about suggesting something like that!  
  
"Hello Amy, want to talk about something?" Malachite pulled out a chair for her as he himself sat down at the table and automatically two wineglasses appeared and a bottle of red wine.  
  
"Thank you." Amy bowed again before she sat down and took a dip of wine to still her nerves, talking to Malachite calmed her down in the end, but in the beginning, she was always nervous around him. She completely disagreed with nephrite though, she couldn't picture Malachite as the cruel and merciless type, sure, he did what was beneficial for him, but then again, almost everyone did, that was no reason to call him cruel.  
  
She took another sip of wine noting that it was actually pretty strong before she started speaking.  
  
"Everyone is preparing for an attack. Nephrite told me what will happen to Earth, but I don't care about that so much, it already has a corrupted government, no one down there will miss it much anyways. What I wanted to talk about was, Nephrite mentioned that you wanted to stay on Earth when the fighting, if you could really call it that since there won't be that many to fight, is over."  
  
"Malachite observed her for a few moments sitting back in his chair and sipping his own wine.  
  
"It's true, I'm tired of running around completing Beryl's meaningless quests. Earth is a beautiful place, even if beryl casts a shadow over it, and introduces new species to it, it will still remain more beautiful then here. And I don't care for this meaningless fighting either." He took another sip.  
  
It was just as Amy thought. Malachite was not really fond of Queen Beryl, he was not fond of being controlled by her, and he saw most fighting that was not personal as a waste of time.  
  
"I was just wondering, Nephrite said that you might not get to stay."  
  
"Yeah, Beryl wants me around, I'm useful to her and she's using Zoicite as an excuse."  
  
"Well, if she was to loose that excuse, would she have to let you stay?"  
  
"Perhaps. Amy, do you want me gone?" he leaned on the table closer to her rolling his wineglass between his fingers and looking at her carefully. He didn't expect her to want to be rid of him so soon, did Nephrite say something to her to make her want to be rid of him? It suddenly bothered Malachite and he wanted to know the cause.  
  
"Not at all Malachite-sama!" she smiled and averted her gaze, he was looking at her so strangely, like he was studying her or something. "I just thought that if you were in charge of Earth I would be able to go down there. If someone else was, most likely I would not be welcome."  
  
"Ahhh," Malachite leaned back in his chair sipping his wine once again "I see," he felt relieved "well, in that case, how would she loose the excuse?"  
  
"Zoicite seems preoccupied when I'm around, too preoccupied with trying to destroy me to waste his energy on randomly killing people." She smiled again, but it was a much shyer smile then she usually had on her smile lately.  
  
"You realize that would require you exposing herself to her, not a very safe thing to do. Queen Beryl would have to know about you and about the circumstances surrounding you and Zoicite in order to loose her excuse."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but she would find out eventually, I've been popping in and out of places, people are starting to talk about me, eventually it would reach her."  
  
Malachite wasn't so sure about that, Amy could have lived her whole life here without Beryl knowing, that woman didn't know what went on right under her nose unless it was shoved right up there, she would not have known, but Amy doesn't need to know that, she was practically volunteering to get him a planet to rule.  
  
"And what about Nephrite, he wouldn't like that, you know."  
  
"Probably, he said that after this Queen Beryl will be moving on to some other planet she wants to conquer, and I'm not sure I want to go that far."  
  
"You want to stay on Earth then?" something sparkled in Malachite's cold silver eyes, but nothing showed on his face.  
  
"I don't want to leave Nephrite, but if Earth is under the negaverse rule, then I won't really be leaving him since it takes less then a second to teleport back and forth within the negaverse boundaries."  
  
"Well, you should talk to him about it first, he would have to introduce you to Beryl if you know what I mean, after all, if you just show up in front of her, she will not believe you."  
  
"Maybe, or maybe not, does Beryl know that I wasn't among the scouts when they were captured?"  
  
"Probably not, she never bothered to look at them."  
  
"Well, you could tell her that I was the scout that you chose, not Lita."  
  
"Oh, I see." Malachite smiled lightly, Amy quite lived up to her reputation as the smart one, she has thought this out already. "In that case, there is going to be a gathering tomorrow, she is calling a meeting right before the invasion, apparently wants to look like she knows what she is doing, I can being you in then, if you act the part, you can be sure that Zoicite will too."  
  
"Will you tell him?"  
  
"Yeah, I don't want him to mess it up by saying something he isn't supposed to say."  
  
"But will he go along?"  
  
"He is getting a planet practically to himself and many shots at destroying you, I'm sure he will."  
  
Amy nodded, she wasn't planning to stay Zoicite's target, plus, she was sure that with Malachite ruling Earth Nephrite will be welcome there so she would be safe. She would get to watch out for Lita and her family down there, be with Nephrite, visit her home and be sure that Earth is relatively safe with Malachite. If this worked and Beryl fell for it, then Malachite would be appointed the leader of Earth and everything would be much better then she thought it would have been.  
  
Amy and Malachite talked for a little longer until he suddenly informed her that Zoicite was coming back which is when she chose to hastily say goodnight and leave.  
  
Nephrite was back in his room waiting for Amy to return. Jaedite just left after Nephrite talked to him about what he noticed was happening to Amy. It made him even more thoughtful since Jaedite outlined nicely for him just how much they have changed here and he realized if they have changed, what made him think that Amy wouldn't too?  
  
Nephrite was almost ready to make the decision he was thinking about earlier. When the earth was taken over, despite what the guardians told the scouts, not so much would change, at least not so drastically as they have described. So if he suggested that Amy stay there, then perhaps she wouldn't change quite so much. He didn't want her to change, he liked her the way she was, he liked her the sweet and pure girl she was, he didn't want the negaverse to corrupt her.  
  
Suddenly she appeared in a swirl of sparkling blue mist, she looked so beautiful when she teleported. Suddenly he wasn't sure any more, he could not have her so far away, maybe perhaps he could stay on Earth with her then. After all, unlike with Malachite, Queen Beryl will not have any objections to him being in charge.  
  
Amy smiled at Nephrite and lay down beside him snuggling against him, he seemed suddenly less worried then he was before.  
  
"You seem happier." She commented.  
  
"I am, why wouldn't I be when you are near." He pulled her closer again feeling more at ease, yes, that's what he would do, he would suggest it tomorrow, a planet, a beautiful woman at his side and away from Malachite, it would be perfect. He would have told her about his decision to stay on Earth now, but he wanted to make it a surprise for her tomorrow.  
  
Amy smiled being happy that Nephrite was happy. She didn't want to tell him her plan just yet. She noticed how much Malachite seemed to bother him lately and she was sure that Nephrite would be happy to hear that Malachite would no longer be anywhere near him. Amy went to sleep feeling pretty ok, no one would get hurt, and Nephrite would be happy for her for being able to stay in her homeland as much as she wished, after all, he has been feeling guilty because she was not able to go down there for so long, everything was going to be fine.  
  
AN: do I see a major misunderstanding happening between Amy and Nephrite? Yes I do, so, whatever is going to happen when their ideas contradict? You'll have to read and find out. I'm terribly sorry this took so long, I had a major writers block. And yes, it looks like Amy and Nephrite will have some problems to work out. Evil author me, Muahahahaha!!!! I want lots of reviews people, reviews motivate me to write faster and if you give me some ideas for the next chapter hopefully I'll be able to avoid yet another writer's block. And I will be writing side stories to this featuring the adventured of Moon, Mars and Venus, so watch out for those! 


	7. misunderstanding and partners

AN: Sorry, took forever again. I was writing a bunch of other stories, most are still unpublished and I have not had much motivation for the sailor moon fandome in general. Sorry to everyone who has been waiting.

Disclaimer: of course I don't own Sailor Moon….duh!

Misunderstanding-

When Nephrite woke up the next morning, Amy was still asleep. Sweet child, she was snuggled up to him in her sleep, her full lips curled into a small pout. His eyes swept over her lovely form. She had curves in all the right places and was thin and elegant in all the other right places. In short she was beautiful and Nephrite realized for the first time, clearly realized, how much he wanted her.

The young general had to force himself to turn away. Over the few short weeks him and Amy became close, but not that close. He would not yet dare to suggest a deeper relationship unless he was sure she wanted it for one. He might be a merciless monster on the battlefield, but he was no rapist of young girls in his own bedroom. The fact that she safely slept in his bed suggested to him that she trusted him, trust was so precious that he would not dare destroy it.

There was of course another reason why he turned away. He had work to do. Now was the worst time to realize how lovely the woman he spent the night with was. Nephrite disappeared out of the room not waking Amy up. There was no need to wake her for one, and she was probably used to waking up by herself by now. Did he feel guilty about that? Not really, but he did wish he could watch her awake sometimes soon.

Not too long after Amy woke up. Not on her own of course. She has been feeling so good last night that her sleep was peaceful and deep and she would not have naturally awoken for a long while. Amy's sleep was rudely interrupted by an angry messenger.

"Wake up mercury brat!"

Amy found herself on the floor and shivering from the cold. Some other time she would have been scared and sad, right now though, she actually got angry.

"Zoicite!" she didn't care much that her ice-shard attack missed him completely, it gave her satisfaction to be able to fire it without worrying at all whether it would hit or not. With her friends, she could never vent frustration so freely. Of course he only laughed at her and she ended up freezing under a sheet of ice on the floor again, but it was worth it al the same.

It appeared that Malachite had some measure of control over Zoicite after all because at the moment the youngest of the four generals was not openly trying to kill her. In fact, he almost seemed to be enjoying himself with just seeing her suffer. Getting ready took longer because of him partially because she had to dry herself and partially because he would not be modest and leave while she cleaned up and changed outfits. Jerk. If she didn't know that he hated her guts, she might've actually been embarrassed.

Amy was quite irritated that morning because of Zoicite. Maybe Malachite counted on that and sent his pet after her on purpose. The more irritated Amy was usually, the more naturally she seemed to fit into the negaverce grand makeup. If she was to fool Beryl this morning, she needed to look like she fits in.

Despite being irritated Amy had butterflies in her stomach. She was going to meet Beryl/the/ queen Beryl! That, and also, she was almost on a mission, her, Zoicite and Malachite had a secret plan that no one else knew, they had their roles and they had to fool everyone to gain control of the entire planet Earth! It was mind-boggling. Every time Amy thought of just what she was going to do, her stomach did a flip-flop.

Well, there was no backing out of it now, she had to go through with it. It was the last thing she could do for Earth now. Deep down in her heart Amy still felt like it was her fault that the Earth was practically doomed, it was up to her to make sure that it was not doomed too badly. And then there was Malachite.

Amy felt nervous, there was a bad feeling inside of her about all this. Nephrite told her to be careful around Malachite. There was something in the general's eyes yesterday, something that she was not used to seeing there: some kind of interest, a concern, something personal that hasn't been there before. When he looked at her last night, she could not look back at him in the eyes. She had to look away and when she did, she could not read his gaze any more. It unnerved her. She really should be more careful. She had to remember, no matter how she seemed to fit in here now, she was still an outsider, this was still the negaverce, they were not friends! And Nephrite knew Malachite better, longer, he must have a reason to warn her, right?

Ignoring the turbulent feeling in her gut Amy finished cleaning up and followed Zoicite out of the room, matching swirls of icy mist and two disappearing figures were the last traces of them there. There was still so much to go over and not too much time, now that Zoicite was filled in on what was happening and convinced to cooperate they needed to work out how they would go about convincing Beryl. They needed to present a strong case, something to which she would not object logically, and they also needed to please her enough so that she would not object on a whim. Amy had faith in Malachite though, he seemed to know Beryl and know what he was doing. If anyone knew how to fool her, she was sure he did.

When the time for the gathering came, Nephrite made sure to be there right on time and make sure that Jaedite was on time too. Beryl didn't like to be bothered with early arrivals, but she did not enjoy lateness either, punctuality, that's what she wanted and that's what she got. Nephrite wanted her in the best mood for his sudden proposition. He wished that he had thought of it earlier, perhaps then he would have had more time to get Beryl more used to the idea. Earth was such a wonderful place indeed, Molly showed him more about what a wonderful place it was, it was a wonder that he has never thought of it.

All the legions belonging to the four generals were also in assembly. Malachite's and Zoicite's troops were there, but where were the two partnered leaders of those troops? Either there was trouble, and emergency that perhaps Zoicite caused and Malachite had to fix, or they were plotting something. Whatever it was, it was uncharacteristic of Malachite to be late.

Nephrite frowned, Zoicite was supposed to be the first one to present his troops and plan and he was not there. That alone put Beryl in a horrible mood and that didn't bode well for Nephrite. With luck though, he could turn the situation around and use her displeasure against Malachite for his own cause. Next was Jaedite and thankfully he displayed uncharacteristic for him efficiency. His plan and his troops seemed flawless, for once. That was good because now, it was his turn to speak and thankfully he actually put a lot of thought into his preparation. As he spoke though he noted how queen Beryl's earlier temper, first soothed by Jaedite, now by him, started to wane. Nephrite took his time explaining, practically praying for Malachite to arrive. Beryl was just getting back into the good mood, if Malachite's absence spoiled it now, it would be highly not beneficial.

A murmur passed through the crowd when Nephrite finished. The queen seemed pleased but what Nephrite realized, the rest realized too. Malachite was still not here and the queen was not going to stay pleased for a moment longer. This was her most powerful and reliable general, he absolutely had to be here. Just when it looked like Beryl's temper was going to explode, Malachite arrived, as always, with flair.

"How kind of us to join us Malachite!" her voice was icy cold "Do not bother rising, you are not in our favor now!" she stared at his bent over back. He was in the shadows, bowing before her. Nephrite smirked, he must realize he was in trouble, what better reason would he have to stay where he could barely be seen?

"Where were you Malachite!" she spoke again and a murmur once again passed over the crowd, faceless creatures that at all times gathered around her throne, her countless minions.

"Your majesty will be pleased." Malachite was smirking as he bowed yet. This was a dangerous game he was playing, as always, but he believed he knew how close he could get to the fire without getting burnt.

"I am not pleased! Explain yourself!"

"Your majesty commanded me to complete a difficult task, and it was completed. I know your majesty will be pleased with the results."

Nephrite's heart froze. What was that madman talking about! The only special task that Beryl gave him, he abandoned, why in the world would he remind her about it! Did he want to die!

"The scouts? You have succeeded in bringing one of the sailor brats to our side? One of the proud millennium princess will bow here before my throne! Stand on her knees and swear loyalty to me because you told her to!" she seemed amused, very amused. Beryl remembered the old times, the times of the Silver Millennium, of the prod queens of the four planets of the inner galaxy. Those proud rulers who fell to no magic and would rather chose death then submission. The idea of one of those royals at her feet did indeed thrill her, just like Malachite counted it would.

"Yes your majesty. Your wish is my command and your command is my life. What you commanded is done."

"Rise! Come forward!" her eyes sparkled as she watched Malachite's figure do as she says.

To the side, Nephrite was getting more and more worried, he was having a bad feeling about this too. Malachite had the spotlight, whatever it was he did. Maybe he went down to earth and recaptured Jupiter, or maybe he had some trick up his sleeve. In any case, at this rate, there won't be time for him to mention his desire to stay on Earth to Queen Beryl.

"Your Majesty, I present to you, fully obedient, your new servant, your loyal slave, former enemy….."

As Malachite spoke, Amy could feel the feeling of panic rising inside of her. She couldn't see Nephrite from where she was and couldn't be comforted by the sight of him. Everywhere she could feel cold negaverce energies, her skin was crawling with them. She couldn't even see Jaedite, even his presence would have been comforting now. Instead, there was only the cold hostile presence of Zoicite at her back, making her edgy, defensive.

"…former Sailor Mercury, now your servant Amy." Malachite smirked at the slightly shocked, slightly suspicious look on Beryl's face.

On cue, Amy teleported. There was a pretty swirl of sparkling ice and she judged by the reactions of those present that they expected Zoicite, they edged away. Instead, like Malachite said, in front of all appeared the former princess of Mercury. Amy felt terrified, completely terrified. All color drained from her face and she was glad almost that she was required to fall before queen Beryl on her knees, that way at least no one would see the fear in her eyes that was not supposed to be there. She needed a moment to compose herself, a moment to become calm and distant, get in touch with her element.

Hard, smooth and cold like ice, remember the ice, feel the ice inside of you. A heart of ice doesn't beat in fear. Strangely enough, Zoicite gave her that advice. He must've been mocking her weakness, making fun of her weakness, but all the same, his advice was precious to her now. Just like ice, she had to been like ice.

"Your Majesty, my queen." She fell lower, her voice came out perfect, rehearsed almost, it relayed none of the shakiness, uncertainty and fear that she held inside.

Yet another murmur passed through the crowd, all eyes were on her, Beryl's scrutinizing gaze was on her. Amy has never felt so much in the spotlight. Most of all, she knew that Nephrite, wherever he was, was looking at her too.

"Princess Mercury, what a surprise!" she could hear the pleased purr in the voice of the snake, she must be rejoicing to see her on her knees! No! She must stay as she is, she must show neither rebellion nor fear, this was not betrayal, this was the last sacrifice she could make for the benefit of her home, her friends, the human race even. "What will you say to me, Princess Mercury?" Amy could hear the poison in Beryl's tone.

"I am here to serve you my queen. Your wish is my will, and the wish of anyone your majesty chooses to place above me." She could predict at least a little, she hoped she could, that Beryl will place Malachite above her. That was fine, so long as it was no one that she didn't know, no one who could blow her cover. Even Zoicite would have been fine so long as it was someone who would know about her and would not betray her.

Malachite measured Amy's voice, Beryl's reaction, the reaction of the crowd, everything was going perfect, except Nephrite. For a moment his eyes met with those of Nephrite and he felt triumphant. Nephrite saw through his game, saw further then Amy did, but not even Nephrite saw through all of it. No one, not Zoicite, not Amy and not Nephrite, of those who knew what was going on, saw to the very core of what he planed. What Nephrite saw was that he manipulated Amy and led her away from him, what he didn't see, was that Amy was never aware of being used. What Zoicite saw was that Amy was being manipulated, that she was not aware, but even Zoicite didn't know that there was more to it then just getting a planet to rule. And Amy saw the minimum, she just thought that he was helping her because he was good and wanted the Earth. No one but him knew the extent of his plans.

"Wonderful!" the Queen was thoroughly pleased. She could tell right away that a sailor scout infused with nega-energy was a very powerful being and paired with himself, would add a great force to whatever attack. Beryl still expected there to be fighting, like in the Silver Millennium. "Then hear my first command, my soldier!"

Beryl was watching her, Amy knew that the eyes of the Queen, when she was watching your face could be very perceiving. There were times when Beryl was useless, there were times when Beryl was very dangerous, Malachite warned her of that. She must not show any hesitation, even a flicker of hesitation in her eyes would be caught by this queen.

"You are to serve under general Malachite, and you are to go down to earth, and conquer it by his side for me! And lastly, you are to destroy those meddling teachers of yours, the guardians!"

Queen Beryl struck right home with her request, but not in the way she was aiming for. She saw no pain in the former scout, no hesitation, no deceit, on the contrary! Queen Beryl's request awakened in Amy a desire she didn't know was there before. All humans were not perfect. All humans could feel love, hate, happiness, sadness, jealousy, compassion and a myriad other emotions. All humans could feel all emotions unless they were ill. Amy was not ill, she was good, pure of heart, but every pure heart knows a limit. Her pure heart just didn't know where that limit was until Beryl practically told her where it was.

When Beryl told her to kill those who are responsible for her only pain now, Amy realized something she would have never realized on her own: She wanted to do it.

Beryl's eyes widened when Amy looked up at her.

"Yes my queen, it will be as you command." Amy was not afraid to look up because she meant what she said. She had her own reasons that Beryl didn't know and didn't need to know. What Beryl saw in Amy's eyes was a determination, a determination to kill. What Malachite saw in Amy's eyes was vengeance.

'Interesting.' No creature was completely pure at heart, probably not even princess serenity. Not even Serenity could forever forgive all the pains caused to her. The whitest canvas is the easiest to mark, the purest is the easiest to taint, it has only been a matter of time before Amy realized it too. Realized that there was only so much pain she could forgive. She needed something to trigger the realization, but in the end, she was just like Zoicite. They truly were alike. How long would it have been before Amy became just like the present Zoicite, wicket, corrupted, merciless? If the pain didn't stop, she would have, it was inevitable. Malachite smiled more, here was his chance to prevent it. He could finally do for her, what he didn't manage to do for Zoicite.

Pleased with herself beyond measure, Beryl dismissed Amy and the former scout, now, a new negaverce soldier took her place by the side of her new master. Her heart was pounding and she felt faint. She felt like she would collapse but there could be no support for her from anyone now, she had to stand as if nothing was wrong even if she felt sick to her stomach from all the nervousness she has just been through. It was not over yet. If Malachite did not manage to convince Beryl now, then all this was in vain, worse yet, she would probably be called on by the queen now.

Beryl moved on to the matter Malachite and Nephrite wanted to discuss now. Very smoothly, before Nephrite could even say anything Malachite once again made his proposition. The queen was considering, carefully so. She did not want to leave one of her best soldiers behind. This could have been Nephrite's chance, he could have stepped in, but he felt frozen, rooted in place where he was, mute and crippled it seemed.

When Malachite first announced the words, that it was Amy he was going to present there was a moment of denial for Nephrite, then a realization and then a horrible sense of betrayal overtook him when Amy appeared before Beryl. To think, to even conceive in his mind that Amy would ever bow before something so loathsome as this queen! It was inconceivable! Why! Why would she do something like this!

As the events unfolded before Nephrite like a silent movie Nephrite started to realize Malachite's cunning. Cruel ambitions man, Amy must have had no idea at all about how she was used. What Nephrite realized when he glimpsed the triumph in Malachite's steel eyes was that he was outwitted. To go head to head with Malachite in power was almost madness, in wit, it seemed too. He felt defeated. But still, the question remained, why did Amy do this? Of course Malachite played a hand in it, he was pulling the strings, but even he needed to give Amy a reason to consent so willingly to something like this.

Nephrite thought his question answered when he saw anger in Amy's eyes. She looked up straight at Queen Beryl and he realized, she wanted to go down to earth, she wanted to fight and she wanted to kill. If it was anyone else, he would not have blamed them. When the kingdom abandoned him all that time ago, he was glad to go and fight them, vengeance was on his mind. Why did he think that vengeance would not consume Amy like it did the rest of them? He had believed Amy too good for vengeance, too pure. That was where he was wrong and where Malachite saw through her deeper then he did.

The queen was speaking again, she was calling upon her old argument that sending Zoicite down to earth was unacceptable. Nephrite missed his chance and he didn't care. He had wanted Earth so he could be happy together with Amy. Now, he was almost sure that he lost her. She served officially under Malachite now, he commanded her. Furthermore, Nephrite was sure she would follow him just like she did just now because Malachite gave her something he himself failed to: a chance at vengeance that Nephrite didn't even know she had wanted. As for love, he had given her love but he had a bad feeling that Malachite was willing to give that to her too. It was just a feeling, a hunch, just because she was so much like Zoicite.

'But she is not Zoicite! Malachite, whatever you think you feel, you will only break her heart.'

Unnoticed by all, Nephrite left the gathering, there was nothing left for him to say. Malachite presented a lovely argument, Amy is a lovely bait to keep Zoicite occupied and Nephrite was sure Beryl would love to see the former scout suffer, even if she was on their side now. Malachite had the planet in the bag, all he had left to do was give up.

He stood with his troops ready to attack, just waiting for the last signal to move out. His mind should have been on the battle, but it wasn't. Instead, it was back on the face of the beautiful blue haired, blue eyed woman whom he was sure now, he loved. Amy, he could remember her image as he saw her just that morning. Sleeping so peacefully in his bed, so lovely, so desirable, then, when he was sure she was his. No matter how hopeless it seemed, he did not want to abandon that vision. More startling then the desire though, was the worry. His will to fight for her was not motivated purely by selfish desire.

'He will break your heart.' That was what truly motivated him. Somehow, even if not with him, he just wanted Amy to be happy. Not with him and unhappy though, he couldn't, wouldn't allow that to happen!

Back on Earth, a certain someone was preoccupied with certain things too. Lita took Darien's words to heart and avoided being spotted in the open by anyone. She went out as a sailor scout only hiding and running constantly. Darien's account of Artemis' and Luna's power highly disturbed her and it was only half of her worries. In the time when they were dealing with the missing Amy and the suicide mission into the heart of the negaverce there were seven reports of missing people. Lita couldn't possibly know if those missing people were the holders of the seven crystals, but since there was no sighting of the negaverce, she could only guess that they were. If only Amy was here, she could find out more about those victims, unfortunately, Amy's disappearance was what started this whole thing.

As it was, Lita was stuck with her portable laptop sitting in a café wearing poor disguise and quickly scanning the latest news on the internet. That was her only, and best bet to find out if anything out of the ordinary was happening. The only things she kept coming across was strange weather patterns occurring all over the world, there was a change in the cycle of the tides and apparently heavenly bodies were being realigned. All of this was causing a panic all over the globe, humans, as ignorant as they were, couldn't stay completely blind.

'Wish that they could!' there was only one good thing about the ever-increasing global panic, it was easier to get lost in it.

Lita typed in the next keyword and just then her connection was interrupted. She could feel her heart jump, it was probably nothing. She couldn't hope wireless connections to be very secure, but at the same time, it could be very dangerous. In her situation, she would not take a risk, she remembered how good both Luna and Artemis were with computers. Looking around not to be suspicious she spotted what she was searching for.

Artemis was no where to be seen, he was a little more distinguishable in the crowd and perhaps smartly chose to stay out of it. A few tables down Luna was sitting at a table sipping a drink. Lita quickly dropped her eyes back to the screen and to keep her act up tried refreshing the page a few times never hoping it to come back online. If Luna was out in the open then they didn't expect her to know about them yet. Pretending that she got frustrated with the connection Lita stood calmly paying for the drink she never finished and started to walk away at a leisurely pace.

She could feel eyes on her back. 'Stay calm, don't show that anything is wrong!' she needed to seem as natural as she could. She knew that when she rounds the corner Luna would stand up to follow her. Lita had two options. She could turn into a really busy street and try to get lost in it, she didn't think the guardians would cause a commotion in public. They would not want casualties, they would want to get her alone. Or she could transform the moment she turned the corner and take Luna by surprise, perhaps even taking her out. The first choice was more sensible because she could not forget that Artemis could be anywhere and watching her. On the other hand, she might not get a chance like this again.

She moved into the crowd. Tokyo was always a busy city, especially when there was excitement amongst people, normally, a person would be easily lost in a crowd like this. Unfortunately for her, Lita was tall and stood out in the crowd, further-more, the eyes watching her would not be easily distracted. She knew she was still being followed.

'Artemis must not be below with Luna' Lita caught a glimpse of her, Luna was fallowing her even when she could not see her in the crowd, Artemis was guiding her.

'When rats are chased, they run down, dogs run straight and cats run up…' Where would a cat perch himself to watch his pray? 'Don't look up!' she could not afford to give herself away by a careless peak searching for someone she should not know was there. 'I'm like a rat.' Lita spotted the entrance to the subway station and went straight for it. Below the ground, where he could not see her. She sped up just a little, nothing special about that either, in this crowd she could navigate better then Luna and she needed a head-start.

She broke into a spring the moment she was sure neither Artemis nor Luna could see her. Thank goodness for the complicated underground passageways, she could hide here! She ran until she spotted a place where she could not be seen and from where she could see the entrance clearly.

"Jupiter star power!" she transformed quickly and the moment she was done she crouched behind the corner watching the entrance and the swarms of people for the bright yellow and black dress.

'Careful now, don't let her sense you…' she planted her little bag out of sight, if she lost, hopefully they would not find it here. 'Just a little closer…' she could not have Artemis spot the fight, it had to be sudden and quick. A surprise attack like this was incredibly low, this was not how the scouts were taught to fight, but this wasn't a fight. She was a haunted mouse ran into a corner, if she messed it up, she didn't stand a chance.

'There will be casualties!' her heart clenched in fear, was she really going to kill people! She was trembling, she was afraid but she didn't want to die for them.

"Jupiter thunder- CRASH!" she closed her eyes concentrating everything in the momentary attack. She had to take out everything and she had to do it instantly, she could not have Artemis alerted.

"Aaah!" Luna screamed. She was not dead, with a painful looking crash she was slammed into a wall. The electricity paralyzed her.

More out of panic then any conscious thought Lita moved. From the outside she looked mad, angry and determined, on the inside she was barely thinking from how scared she was. Not for her life, never that during a fight, simply scared of what she was actually doing. Once stunned, Luna was no fighter. She might've been a powerful and intelligent spell caster, but she was no warrior. Lita relied on her strength and speed and fighting skill to take her out. Goodness! It was actually working. When her fist and her kick hit home and met no resistance, her heart flipped, she was actually doing it!

Lita saw blood, Luna was like a rag doll to push around when it came to physical strength. It probably looked like Lita was beating down on her but she did not dare ease up her assault for a moment. She could not risk another lightning attack so close to the entrance and she was afraid of what Luna might be able to do if for at least a moment she would be allowed to get her bearings.

"Aaaaaaah!" the cat woman got her bearings enough to scream covering her face with her arms. Lita felt sick, blood! Blood was too real! Why couldn't Luna turn into a pile of ash, or sand, or just disintegrate into moondust! Why did she have to bleed? Why did she have to look like a human, just like the old fights? She couldn't fight till death like this!

"Ugh!" something slammed Lita in the back and not waiting to see what it was she just jumped up and ran as fast as she could. There was another exit! She failed after all, she never finished her! She ran as fast as her legs could carry her forgetting about all warriors pride. It wasn't really Artemis she was running from, she was proud enough to face him. She was running from the blood staining the cement floor of the subway station. When was the last time she cried after a fight!

"Crescent saber FLASH!" (this is an invented attack, I don't know anything about Artemis' and Luna's abilities in their human forms). Lita jumped, the shockwaved from the attack that crashed where she was a moment ago knocking her off her feet.

As much as she tried to scramble to her feet as fast as she could, it was not fast enough. Two more golden shining crescent-shaped spinning blades, like boomerangs came slicing through the air almost instantly. "AAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!" she clenched her eyes ready to be sliced in half.

With a near-life-saving swoosh and a crash just behind her Lita felt herself airborne. The wind was knocked out of her as she doubled over the hard gauntlet on a powerful arm as that arm yanked her from the place she has been just a moment ago. Every time Serena was snatched right from under attack it looked lovely and stylish, smooth, perfect and romantic. When Lita was snatched so abruptly off the ground, the pull winded her so much that she retched her guts out on the roof the moment she was set down.

She stumbled up trying to establish a foothold, but there was no need. The entrance to the subway station was a gaping dark hole and no one was coming out of it. Even for a guardian on a mission, a fanatically loyal guardian, there were still some things more important then duty.

Lita's legs felt shaky as she walked over to the edge of the roof. Falling to her knees she folded her arms and cried silently. More like shivered repeatedly with her gloves soaking the occasional tear that sipped out from her clenched eyes. It was just shock, reality hit hard when it did. What would she not give now for the stability and comfort and a sense of fanatical, comic-book, hero-style purpose that the guardians gave them before. She almost wanted the feeling of invincibility, the belief that they could not loose because they were the force of good, the romance of battles that ended in their victories.

The fairy-tale ended for her. It ended the moment she was alone, her friends were dead, they were actually dead and just now she nearly died. She actually nearly died! Suddenly, this fourteen-year old girl didn't feel like a super-hero at all.

"They'll be busy for a while, you must've messed Luna up pretty badly for him not to follow you." After they were sure there was not going to be any further fighting Lita and Darien returned to her apartment.

"Shouldn't I go back after the bag?" there was always a possibility that they didn't follow her because they found it where she hid it.

Darrien shook his head. "With luck, they will think that you still have it, for now, we will pretend that you do. Then perhaps we can pay a random bystander to look for it and carry it out if it's still there."

"Whenever they open the subway station again you mean." The news reported the incident as a terrorist attack by an unknown group for an unknown purpose. No demands made. Perhaps though, if her box was found after all, she just might make a phony demand to get it back. Lita could not bare to hurt anyone else, she knew that the image of the people, their names in the obituaries, the death count was still making her ill. Or was it the fact that she didn't have the transformation stick any more that was making her sick?

Darien nodded. "We shouldn't stay here, you know. Vengeance can be as good a motivations as duty."

Lita agreed. She had not intended to go back to this apartment. She was not at all surprised to find it in shambles when they returned, but when she was sick up on that roof, there really was no where for them to go.

"Darien…" she started, but hesitated. She has thought of this for a while. She has thought of this since they returned actually and what she came up with was that she couldn't do this alone. The fighting was not over. The war, it seemed, was just beginning and she couldn't fight alone.

"Yeah?" was he thinking the same thing? Their eyes met for a moment, a moment of hesitation and uncertainty and then a moment of truth.

"Will you stay with me?" she swallowed, there, she did it, she asked Darien of all people for help because she couldn't do it alone.

He looked startled, was startled. He was so confused, all the memories, everything that was happening, he couldn't trust another person to be near him. It was just not his style. "Sorry kid, I work al…"

Even before he finished Lita slapped him across the face completely surprising him in both that she would do something as uncontrolled as this and that she would actually manage to hit him.

"Don't say it! You can't!" Darien stared at the strong, powerful, independent Sailor Jupiter. "You can't leave me alone, you can't because I have no one else. You have no one else either and you don't want to leave me. But most of all, you can't leave me because I'm weak, I'm alone, and I'm scared." She choked on every word she said, they didn't want to come out. Those words were not her words. Those words were the words of a scared fourteen year old little girl, not a fighter for the good of the universe. Those words sounded so weak in Lita's ears that she was ashamed to say them. In fact, she was probably very strong to say them. She was so weak that she was strong, so ashamed to speak that when she said it all, she was proud that she managed to say anything at all.

"Lita…." There was nothing that could melt a man's heart like a strong woman in distress. If she had known that, perhaps she would have tried to use that on purpose to manipulate them, or maybe not. Maybe it would not have worked if she had planned it. As it was, it was so spontaneous, so unexpected, that it just had to work.

Darien let out a deep sigh, he was the one whom she wanted to rely on, who had to be strong for her, of whom she demanded to take charge but somehow, her request made him feel weaker.

"Yeah, I'll stay." Maybe he would, just because she was right, he didn't want to be alone either. If he could trust her, then maybe having her around when he is confused would be ok after all. It should be ok, so long as she stayed as confused as he was.

Purely upon impulse Lita wrapped her arms around Darien's form from behind leaning her face against his strong back. There was nothing at all romantic about their situation, or their non-conservative hug. There was something hopeless and desperate in the scene. His back, it was so strong, he was just the support that she needed to reassure her, even if he didn't return her hug, there was an understanding in that he didn't push her away. His was not a negative reaction, it was passive acceptance, a comfortable silence. Maybe, they would be friends after all. From now on though, they were partners. They would fight together, or something like that.

AN: Ah yes, finally finished this chapter. It really, really, really took me a very long time and I'm sorry about that. Well, you know the routine, reviews make me happy. You never know, if I get a very large number of them at once, perhaps I'll update again before I loose inspiration for this fandome again. I realize that as this fic progresses, Amy becomes more and more OOC and all canon freaks who hate me, feel free to flame of course, maybe I'll even listen to you. Just a note thought, it's the environment and the situation she's in that's causing the psychotic change, if everything was back to normal and ok again, she would have been more like her usual self, though no one can be the same after an experience like this.

On another note, it's 2 am in the morning and I have a biology exam in exactly seven hours and I haven't quite started to study for it. I couldn't concentrate on it until I finished this so appreciate my sacrifice and tell me that you do because it's been really, really hard to write Sailor Moon fics lately.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter by the way, it may seem like I don't care or don't respond to your reviews, but really, your reviews to matter, if I didn't have so many reviews for this fic, I would not have updated it at all, gave up on it long ago because of the lack of inspiration, so thank you all. Till next time!


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